Predicting Distal Radius Bone Strains and Injury in Response to Impacts to Failure Using Multi-axial Accelerometers

Measuring a bone’s response to impact has traditionally been done using strain gauges that are attached directly to the bone. However, in addition to being invasive (in vivo), strain gauges are expensive, are generally used only once, and can be difficult to assemble and attach to the specimens being tested. While accelerometers are an attractive tool to overcome these limitations [1], little data are available relating measured accelerations to bone injury or surface strains. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to determine the efficacy of multi-axial accelerometers for predicting injury to bone and assess the relationship between accelerations and bone surface strains.