Author Description

The musculo-skeletal system undergoes constant micromovement in response to mechanical influences, which in turn effect the healing of fractures, the development of arthritis and osteoporosis, and the body's response to prosthetic implants. At one magnitude, micromovement promotes the healing of fractures, but at a higher magnitude, it inhibits healing. Micromovement of a total joint replacement can lead to bone resorption and subsequent loosening of the prosthesis. To what extent do theory, laboratory measurements of micromovement, and early in vivo measurements relate to each other and to final clinical outcome? What is the role played by physiological feedback in the control of load during the healing of the musculo-skeletal system? Clinicians and engineers together explored the medical implications of micromovement and evaluated methods for its measurement at a meeting held by the Oxford Orthopedic Engineering Centre in April 1992. This book is based on a selection of contributions and the lively debate that followed.