Development and biocompatibility characterization of a biomems sensor for monitoring the progression of fracture healing

Orthopaedic extremity injuries present a large medical and financial burden to the United States and world-wide communities [1]. Approximately six million long bone fractures are reported annually in the United States and approximately 10% of these fractures do not heal properly. Though the exact mechanism of impaired healing is poorly understood, many of these non-unions result when there is a communited condition that does not proceed through a stabilized healing pathway [2]. Currently, clinicians may monitor healing visually by radiographs, or via manual manipulation of the bone at the fracture [3]. Unfortunately, the course of aberrant fracture healing is not easily diagnosed in the early period when standard radiographic information of the fracture is not capable of discriminating the healing pathway. Manual assessment of fracture healing is also an inadequate diagnostic tool in the early stages of healing [4].