In the period 1985-1990, the Commission of European Communities (Medical Health Research - COMAC-BME) supported a concerted action on “Monitoring of Fracture Healing”, involving 12 centers in 9 countries. The project group concentrated mainly on mechanical vibration analysis. The nature of tibial vibrations and the correlation between resonant frequencies and mechanical stiffness are now well documented. The sensitivity of resonant frequencies to fracture healing was assessed by analytical and experimental modelling as well as animal experiments. Influences of soft tissues on the in vivo vibration behaviour were evaluated. Low cost instrumentation was developed, and the reproducibility of in vivo measurements was examined. Finally clinical fracture healing monitoring by vibration analysis has been proven to be feasible under well defined conditions.

Recently, the scope of the group has been extended to “in vivo assessment of bone quality by vibration and wave propagation techniques” including ultrasound and sonic wave propagation analysis as techniques and e.g. osteoporosis diagnosis, evaluation of consolidation after bone elongation and assessment of prosthesis loosening as clinical applications. Preliminary results are discussed in the review.