The influence of mechano-regulation on bone fracture healing

Abstract

Bone fracture healing is a unique biological process characterised by differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in fracture callus into bone forming cells while the process is regulated by biochemical and mechanical factors. The mechanical microenvironment can be influenced by several factors, including mechanical loading, fixation stiffness and flexibility; and fracture geometry (i.e. gap and angle of fracture). However, the fundamental relationship between the various loading regimes and different healing outcomes has not been fully understood. In this research, a computational model is developed to investigate advective transport of cells and growth factors under various strain a..