INTRODUCTION: Trabecular bones have a porous microstructure and can be modeled as linear elastic solids, heterogeneous and anisotropic. In the literature, few investigations have compared the two- dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) morphometric analyses of cancellous bone. METHODS: In this investigation eighteen cylindrical samples of cancellous bone (10 mm of diameter and 20 mm of height) were obtained from six bovine head femurs, with similar values for the weight and age, of the same race and gender. The samples were harvested and freezed at - 20 °C before carrying out the microCT analysis. The CT-Analyzer software was used to measure in three directions (superior-inferior, lateral-medial and anterior-posterior) parameters such as trabecular thickness, trabecular separation, trabecular number and the eigenvalues of the fabric tensor (M). RESULTS: The Comparison of 2D and 3D analyses for the parameters: 2D (plate model) trabecular thickness, trabecular separation and trabecular number were statistically different (p = 0) showing that measurements are not similar to the 3D ones. However, 2D (rod model) trabecular thickness and 3D trabecular thickness measurements presented no significant difference (p = 0.26). The eigenvalues show that the bovine trabecular microstructure has a tendency to transverserly isotropic symmetry. DISCUSSION: The method proved to be quite interesting for the characterization of the bone structure through 3D measurements of trabecular bone morphometric parameters in the three possible directions of loading. The results show that x-ray microtomography (∝CT) is a technique of great potential for characterization and generating bone quality parameters for the diagnosis of bone metabolism diseases.

Os efeitos da estimulação ultra-sônica sobre a consolidação óssea têm sido demonstrados por trabalhos experimentais e clínicos. Este estudo teve por objetivo investigar a aplicação clínica do ultra-som pulsado de baixa intensidade como tratamento adjuvante de fraturas diafisárias em cães. Foram utilizados 16 cães de raças variadas, com faixa etária entre sete meses e seis anos, peso corpóreo entre 2,5 e 43kg, portadores de fraturas diafisárias fechadas recentes localizadas no rádio e ulna, fêmur ou tíbia e fíbula, estabilizadas por procedimentos de osteossíntese (fixação esquelética externa, pinos intramedulares ou a associação desses métodos). Os cães foram divididos em dois grupos: fraturas estabilizadas tratadas por ultra-som de baixa intensidade (grupo tratado, n=8); fraturas estabilizadas, não tratadas por estimulação ultra-sônica, (grupo controle, n=8). Os animais foram avaliados por exames clínicos e radiográficos nos períodos pré-operatório, pós-operatório imediato e a cada 30 dias posteriores aos procedimentos cirúrgicos. Realizou-se tratamento com ultra-som pulsado (sinal senoidal com freqüência de 1,5MHz, largura de pulso de 200µs e freqüência de repetição de 1kHz) de baixa intensidade (30mW cm-2), aplicado de modo estacionário no foco de fratura. A terapia ultra-sônica foi realizada 20 minutos por dia, durante 21 dias consecutivos, a partir do período compreendido entre o 1° e o 9° dia pós-operatório. O teste t de Student, empregado na análise estatística, mostrou diferença significante (P<0,001 e alfa=0,05) entre as médias dos parâmetros de tempo para consolidação óssea observadas nos animais dos grupos tratado (média de 67,5 dias) e controle (média de 106 dias). Este protocolo de estimulação ultra-sônica promoveu sinais clínicos e radiográficos acelerados da consolidação óssea nas fraturas tratadas. Os resultados deste estudo sugerem que o ultra-som pulsado de baixa intensidade pode ser indicado como terapia adjuvante de fraturas diafisárias recentes em cães.

The effects of ultrasound stimulation on bone healing have been demonstrated in experimental and clinical studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical application of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound as an adjuvant for the treatment of diaphyseal fractures in dogs. Sixteen dogs of different breeds, ages ranging from seven months to six years, weighing from 2.5 to 43kg, were enrolled in the study. All dogs presented fresh closed diaphyseal fractures in the radius and ulna, femur or tibia and fibula stabilized with osteosynthesis techniques (intramedullary pinning, external skeletal fixation or the combination of both). The dogs were divided into two groups: stabilized fractures treated by low-intensity ultrasound (treatment group, n=8); stabilized fractures not treated by ultrasound stimulation (control group, n=8). The animals were assessed by means of clinical examination and radiographic studies in the preoperative period, immediate postoperative period, and every 30 days after the surgical procedures. The treatment was performed using stationary low-intensity (30mW cm-2) pulsed ultrasound (sine wave signal of 1.5MHz frequency, 200µs pulse width and 1kHz repetition frequency) on the fracture site. Ultrasound therapy was carried out 20 minute per day, for 21 consecutive days, starting between the 1st and the 9th postoperative day. The Student’s t test was used for the statistical analysis and showed a significant difference (P<0.001 and alpha=0.05) between the mean time for bone healing of the animals in the treatment group (mean of 67.5 days) and that of animals in the control group (mean of 106 days). This protocol of ultrasound stimulation promoted clinical and radiographic signs of bone healing acceleration in the treated fractures. The results of this study suggest that low-intensity pulsed ultrasound may be indicated as an adjuvant therapy in fresh diaphyseal fractures in dogs.