Scintigraphic control of bone-fracture healing under ultrasonic stimulation: an animal experimental study

In a model of closed lower-leg fracture in rabbits and of secondary bone-fracture healing, scintigraphic control until biological healing was performed. Biological fracture healing was assumed for a region of interest (ROI)-activity ratio close to 1.0. After application of 99mTc-HEDP, 151 examinations were performed. ROI activity increased significantly until day 14 p.i. and reached the maximum value (Q = 6.44) on day 14 postfracture. Sixty-one lower leg fractures were treated by ultrasound from days 14-28 postfracture. These stimulated fractures were biologically healed on day 168 postfracture. The fractures that were not treated by ultrasound could not be detected by scanning after day 203 postfracture.