This paper describes a preliminary study that was performed to look at the possible use of a low power microwave transmission system to determine the location of metallic orthopaedic inserts placed inside the human body for the purpose of repairing fractures or breaks in bones and also to determine the location of locking holes contained within the insert. For this study, a typical insert is suspended inside a jelly and oil solution in order to simulate the biological system. The results confirm that there is a change in phase and magnitude in the transmission response when the insert is moved between the transmitter and receiver. A system using low power non-ionising microwave energy such as that considered here offers significant advantage over conventional instruments and techniques currently used to determine the location of metallic inserts and the locking holes contained within.
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