Repairing Broken Bones
Devices such as plates, screws and rods are designed by engineers for doctors to surgically implant to help mend severely fractured bones.Copyright US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Medline Plus http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/18023.htm
Students learn about how biomedical engineers aid doctors in repairing severely broken bones. They learn about using pins, plates, rods and screws to repair fractures. They do this by using the engineering design process to design, create and test their own prototype devices to repair broken turkey bones.
Biomedical and materials engineers create devices that doctors use to repair severe bone fractures. Materials engineers develop biocompatible materials that integrated into the body easily. Biomedical engineers use these materials to design pins, plates, rods and screws that can be used to help support and repair broken bones.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe how engineers aid doctors in repairing severe bone fractures.
- Create prototype devices to aid in the healing of a bone fractures and test them for strength.
- Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a prototype medical device based on model testing.
- Describe the steps of the engineering design process.