MOBILE MONITORING OF FRACTURE HEALING IN EXTERNAL FIXATORS

摘要

A device for and a method of monitoring the healing status of a fractured bone in a person's limb is disclosed. The external fixation device may include one or more rods or struts that incorporate strain gauges designed to measure the mechanical forces on the strut when force is applied to the fractured bone. The mechanical force data may be collected by an electronic module and transmitted to a computer for statistical analysis. The device may also include a foot insole sensor for measuring the foot plantar force to normalize the data collected by an external fixation device attached to a person's leg. The method of measuring the healing status of a fractured bone includes measuring the changes in mechanical forces exerted on the one or more struts, and based on the measurements, estimating the healing status of the bone.