ABSTRACT
External fixators are widely used in orthopedics, particularly in surgical procedures involving long bone osteotomies. These systems establish the connection between the fragmented bone, guaranteeing the transfer of load until the consolidation of the osteotomy area. System rigidity must ensure the stability, allowing the existence of micro movements, crucial to promote bone callus growth, usually guaranteed by the patient’s physical activity. Following the regeneration process, it is important to identify the degree of consolidation, usually performed using bone densitometry. Thus, the development of methodologies that allow the identification of consolidation in bone formation is an open research topic. This work presents an electromechanical system coupled to a unilateral external fixator, aiming to identify the consolidation phase of the regenerated bone. The concept under study uses the behavior of the electric motor that drives the electromechanical system, in particular its consumption, as an indicator of stiffness in the callus area.
