BONE FRACTURE HEALING PATTERN

Abstract

The energy metabolism of fracture healing compared with the level in normal tissues, showed a high rate of energy metabolism in the early phase of fracture healing, which persisted until the callus was corticalised and remodelling had started. The neovascularisation during uncomplicated fracture healing of long bones is proved by present of positive Doppler signals in and close to the callus in experiments on animal. In our experimental study we want to investigate the skin temperature modify at the fracture site and correlate with the stage of fracture healing. We developed a system formed by a number of miniaturised thermo-resistors of type PT-100 fixed on a flexible support, disposed in a matrix with convenient shape and dimensions, adequate for the investigated case. The value of the temperature is given by the value of the electric resistance of the sensors. This resistance is deduced by measuring the intensity of the common current and of the voltage between the joints of each sensor. The body temperature practically can be measured in some well-delimited points. The evaluation of type of thermo-reactivity in patients with fractures permits prognosticating the course of the bone fracture healing process. The symptom of distal hyperthermia/hypothermia is unspecific but is regarded as a supplementary index of the type of thermo-reactivity and character of the course of the fracture healing process. The aims of this prospective study were to test the feasibility to study the repartition of the skin temperature at the fracture site, and to investigate its usefulness to follow fracture healing of long bones.