Biomechanics of Fracture Healing

Fracture healing involves a dynamic interplay of biological processes that when properly executed restore form and function to the injured bone. This chapter presents a biomechanical description of fracture healing, with emphasis on methods of assessing the extent of healing as defined principally by the extent of the regaining of mechanical function, and on the role of the local mechanical environment. Fracture healing is often classified as either primary or secondary fracture healing, where the former is characterized by direct cortical reconstruction and the latter involves substantial periosteal callus formation. The techniques for assessing healing that are presented in the chapter apply equally well to primary and secondary healing; however, the overviews of the biomechanical stages of fracture healing and the mechanobiology of fracture healing are largely specific to secondary healing.