title: Fracture healing redefined.
abstract: It is well established that local mechanical conditions and interfragmentary movement are important factors for successful bone healing and may vary dramatically with patient fracture-load and activity. Up until now however it was technically impossible to use these key influence parameters in the aftercare treatment process of human lower extremity fractures. We propose a theory that with state of the art sensor technology these biomechanical influences can not only be monitored in vivo, but also used for individualized therapy protocols. Local measurement systems for fracture healing are available but remain research tools, due to various technical issues. To investigate the biomechanical influences on healing right away surrogate sensor tools are needed. Various gait characteristics have been proposed as surrogate measures. Currently available sensor tools could be modified with the appropriate support structure to allow such measurements continuously over the course of a fracture healing. Interdisciplinary work between clinicians, software engineers with computer and biomechanical simulations is needed. Through such a sensor system human boundary conditions for fracture healing could not only be defined for the first time, but also used for a unique, extendible aftercare system. With this tool critical healing situations would be detected much earlier and could be prevented with easy activity modifications, reducing patient and socioeconomic burden of disease. The hypothesis, necessary tools and support structures are presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma-, Hand-, Reconstructive Surgery, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany. Electronic address: benedikt.braun@uks.eu.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma-, Hand-, Reconstructive Surgery, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rollmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma-, Hand-, Reconstructive Surgery, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Veith
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma-, Hand-, Reconstructive Surgery, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pohlemann
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003198:Computer Simulation; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012984:Software; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000628:therapy*