Punch shear test for quantitative evaluation of bone defect repair in Wistar rat tibia.

Introduction: Bone healing is a complex process influenced by biological and mechanical factors that restores the injured bone's load bearing function. Qualitative methods are usually employed to assess this repair process. This study presents a method of quantitative evaluation of bone repair in circular defects produced in the medial proximal metaphysis of the tibia of rats by means of punch shear tests (PST).