Bone Breaker

Abstract

Within the last hundred years, a considerable stall in fracture research at the growth plate has contributed to inadequacies in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric orthopedic fractures, sometimes leading to lifelong pain, immobility, and deformities. This issue is the result of a lack of research devices to study and better understand growth plate fractures. To address these research needs, Bone Breaker, a medical research device being developed by OsteoDynamics in collaboration with Phoenix Children’s Hospital, has been created to safely, ethically, and effectively study growth plate fractures to improve treatment protocol. The device consists of a piston-cylinder configuration powered by an air compressor with an Arduino component for automatic accuracy and an adjustable attachment for bone security. It works by cycling multiple forces with a larger precise force at the end to create a total fracture at the growth plate. Thus far, iterations have been tested on bone cement models and on cadaveric lamb femurs to create reproducible fractures that can be studied. The device’s consistency hints at potential for the design to move onto animal model testing to aid in the development of advanced growth plate orthopedic treatment applications. With refinements, Bone Breaker could become the medical research device that revolutionizes pediatric orthopedic care and eliminates deformities of fractures on the growth plate with improved treatment and diagnosis. Regarding manufacturing, individual components and materials were outsourced, but assembled in the U.S., for a cost effective approach to total approximately $550.

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