Inventors:
Thomas Richard Bowen - Danville PA, US
Eric Allen Kennedy - Lewisburg PA, US
Daniel Curtis Saunders - Atlanta GA, US
Eric Huy-Dang Nguyen - Madison WI, US
Christopher Lee Gabryluk - Buffalo NY, US
Jessica Diane Levy - Dayton OH, US
Sarah Jane Wohlman - Chicago IL, US
Assignee:
Geisinger Clinic - Danville PA
International Classification:
A61B 17/56
Abstract:
A method for determination of mechanical integrity of bone includes embedding a threaded rod into the bone, extracting the threaded rod out of the bone, and measuring the force required to extract the threaded rod from the bone, wherein the force required to extract the threaded rod is indicative of the mechanical integrity of the bone. A device for determining the mechanical integrity of bone includes a housing, a rod holder mounted to the housing and configured to hold a threaded rod which is embedded in the bone, a pulling force applicator which applies a pulling force to the rod holder to extract the threaded rod from the bone, and a pulling force measuring instrument which measures the pulling force applied to the rod holder by the pulling force applicator as the threaded rod is extracted from the bone.