Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery
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Arch Orthop Trauma Surg · Jan 1998
Quantification of fracture healing with three-dimensional computed tomography.
Quantitative methods are necessary for an objective evaluation of fracture healing. Three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) for the measurement of callus volume and density could be such a method and was investigated in an animal model. In 23 goats a closed tibial fracture was created and stabilized with a cast. ⋯ However, callus density was a significant explanatory variable for both torsional strength (R2 = 0.72, P < 0.0001) and torsional stiffness (R2 = 0.82, P < 0.0001). Therefore, callus density as measured by three-dimensional CT is a predictor of the extent of fracture consolidation. CT with three-dimensional reconstruction of the callus seems a valid technique for the quantification of fracture healing.
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Arch Orthop Trauma Surg · Jan 1998
Degradation of and intraosseous reactions to biodegradable poly-L-lactide screws: a study in minipigs.
In 20 minipigs an osteotomy of the lumbar spine was done at L3 and fixed with resorbable implants (plate and screws) made of poly-L-lactide. For 24 months postoperatively the cancellous bone surrounding the screws was examined histologically. Specimens from the body of lumbar spine L2 and L4, carrying the screws, were fixed in a series of ethanol immersions and then embedded in methylmethacrylate. ⋯ Osteolytic changes or the emergence of seroma was not observed. Textured bone was evident early close to a thin fibrous capsule surrounding the screws. The remodelling of the bone close to the screws ensues by the formation of osteons.