Changes of biomechanical characteristics of the bone in experimental tibial osteotomy model in the dog.

Experimental osteotomy model of canine tibia was prepared to investigate the changes in biomechanical characteristics during the healing process. After 16 weeks, although radiographs revealed that fracture healing proceeded, the recovery rates of the mechanical parameters ranged from 12.3 to 47.3%, compared to the intact side. After 32 weeks, those recovered to 68.9-93.2%. These results suggested that the biomechanical characteristics of the healing bone could not be recovered sufficiently even after the passage of the healing period which has been empirically proposed from clinical findings. It was also considered that evaluation of the mechanical parameters using this osteotomy model would be suitable for investigating the effect of osteoinductive growth factors on fracture healing.