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Correlations between mechanical stress history and tissue differentiation in initial fracture healing
Author(s) -
Carter D. R.,
Blenman P. R.,
Beaupré G. S.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of orthopaedic research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.041
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1554-527X
pISSN - 0736-0266
DOI - 10.1002/jor.1100060517
Subject(s) - bone healing , fracture (geology) , callus , stress (linguistics) , bone tissue , materials science , medicine , biomedical engineering , anatomy , biology , composite material , botany , linguistics , philosophy
A general theory for the role of intermittently imposed stresses in the differentiation of mesenchymal tissue is presented and then applied to the process of fracture healing. Two‐dimensional finite element models of a healing osteotomy in a long bone were generated and the stress distributions were calculated throughout the early callus tissue under various loading conditions. These calculations were used in formulating theoretical predictions of tissue differentiation that were consistent with the biochemical and morphological observations of previous investigators. The results suggest that intermittent hydrosatic (dilatational) stresses may play an important role in influencing revascularization and tissue differentiation and determining the morphological patterns of initial fracture healing.