Bone Crusher
The variety in bones and fractures requires creativity to determine the best repair treatment for every situation.Copyright (top right) 2004 Bill Rhodes, Wikimedia Commons; (bottom) 2004 Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA. All rights reserved; (top left) 2011 Nevit Dilmen, Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Communitive_midshaft_humeral_fracture_callus.jpg http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=broken+arm&ex=1#ai:MP900426551|mt:2| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Medical_X-Ray_imaging_OEN06_nevit.jpg
Students use a tension-compression machine (or an alternative bone-breaking setup) to see how different bones fracture differently and with different amounts of force, depending on their body locations. Teams determine bone mass and volume, calculate bone density, and predict fracture force. Then they each test a small animal bone (chicken, turkey, cat) to failure, examining the break to analyze the fracture type. Groups conduct research about biomedical challenges, materials and repair methods, and design repair treatment plans specific to their bones and fracture types, presenting their design recommendations to the class.
Methods to repair severe bone fractures have evolved over the centuries. Today, biomedical engineers work with physicians and surgeons to understand how different bones in the body are accustomed to withstanding different types and amounts of forces, and thus respond differently to damage and repair treatments. For the most severe cases, they are challenged to create surgical tools and strategies to align bone fragments so they heal correctly. Material science engineers are challenged to design biocompatible materials that can be used inside living and moving bodies without side effects. Thus, repair treatments have become more customized and specific to the unique bone types and fracture patterns.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Identify factors that must be considered when designing treatment methods.
- Explain the thought process when designing treatment methods.
- Explain how the forces certain bones are able to withstand before fracture affect the specific type of treatment best suited for their repair.