Abstract:
Presently the radiological examination is widely used for the assessment of in vivo bone
condition. In some clinical problems such as diagnosis of the point of union of a fracture;
the manual assessment is used along with radiological examination. Uncertainty regarding
the significance of the radiographic and clinical findings may result in unnecessary long
immobilization periods which can produce discomfort for the patient, as well as possible
stiffness of the joints and sometimes permanent loss of mobility specially in older
population. This paper deals with the in vivo analysis of bones by Acousto-Ultrasonic
technique. The fracture was created through surgery on one of the limbs of rabbit and
healing process was monitored through
acousto-ultrasonic technique. A new index
known as bone healing index was defined to
calculate the end point of healing. In most
of the cases, the bone healing index value
was found to be 0.80, indicating that 80 %
of the strength could only be restored at the
completion of healing process.