The stiffness and strength of a healing bone fracture depend on the geometry of the fracture callus as well as the mechanical properties of the callus tissues. In the clinical setting, the mechanical stability of a healing fracture is often estimated qualitatively based on the radioopacity of the callus tissue. However, a quantitative association between tissue mineralization and mechanical properties has yet to be established for these tissues. Quantifying callus tissue material properties and mineral content may therefore enable improved non-invasive assessments of bone healing. In addition, elucidating relationships between callus tissue composition and function will provide a means of understanding the mechanism by which the injured bone recovers its mechanical integrity.
Age and ovariectomy impair both the normalization of mechanical properties and the accretion of mineral by the fracture callus in rats