Non-invasive method for in-vivo bone-growth stimulation

The method of enhancing a healing process in bone-fracture tissue, which method comprises:

• dynamizing the bone-fracture tissue by causing minute cyclic flexing of the bone at a rate between about 10 Hz and about 100 Hz and with a magnitude sufficient in an initial phase to effect relatively high-level acceleration in the range 0.05 g to 0.5 g and oscillating displacement in the range 0.01-mm to about 2.00-mm.

The method of promoting calcification of bone callus adjacent bone tissue in a living body, which method comprises:

• mechanically and cyclically loading the callus and adjacent bone tissue at a rate between about 10 Hz and about 100 Hz and with a magnitude sufficient in an initial phase to effect relatively high-level acceleration in the range 0.05 g to 0.4 g and oscillating displacement in the range 0.01-mm to about 2.00-mm.

The method of enhancing a bone-healing process in a selected region of a living body, which method comprises:

• mechanically and cyclically loading the body region via a selected compliance such that a frequency of natural resonance exists in the range between about 10 Hz and about 100 Hz for the combined body region and selected compliance;
• and
• said loading being such as to stimulate the combined body region and selected compliance into natural resonance at said frequency and to an extent producing body-region displacement in the range 0.01-mm to about 2.00-mm, and body region acceleration in the range 0.05 g to 0.5 g.

The method of promoting osseointegration by bony ingrowth in a body region of implanted bone, which method comprises:

• mechanically and cyclically loading the body region via a selected compliance such that a frequency of natural resonance exists in the range between about 10 Hz and about 100 Hz for the combined body region and selected compliance;
• and
• said loading being such as to stimulate the combined body region and selected compliance into natural resonance at said frequency and to an extent producing implanted-region displacement in the range 0.01-mm to about 2.00-mm, and implanted-region acceleration in the range of 0.05 to 0.3 g.

The method of promoting osseointegration by bony ingrowth in a bone-grafted region of a living body, which method comprises:

• mechanically and cyclically loading the bone-grafted region via a selected compliance such that a frequency of natural resonance exists in the range between about 10 Hz and about 100 Hz for combined bone-grafted region and the selected compliance;
• said loading being such as to stimulate the combined bone-grafted region and selected compliance into natural resonance at said frequency and to an extent producing displacement within the bone-grafted region in the range 0.01-mm to about 2.00-mm, and acceleration in the bone-grafted region in the range 0.05 g to 0.3 g.

The method of promoting osseointegration by bony ingrowth in a body region of a prosthetic implant, which method comprises:

• mechanically and cyclically loading the body region via a selected compliance such that a frequency of natural resonance exists in the range between about 10 Hz and about 100 Hz for the combined body region and the selected compliance;
• and
• said loading being such as to stimulate the combined body region and selected compliance into natural resonance at said frequency and to an extent producing implanted-region displacement in the range 0.01-mm to about 2.00-mm, and implanted-region acceleration in the range 0.05 g to 0.3 g.

The method of preventing osteopenia, as well as for promoting bone-tissue growth, ingrowth and healing of bone tissue in a living body, which method comprises:

• subjecting the bone tissue to a mechanical load sufficient to cause strain in the bone tissue at a relatively low level of between about 50 and about 500 microstrain, peak-to-peak, and at a frequency between about 10 Hz and about 100 Hz, said mechanical load being applied by stiffly compliantly supporting the body, with the spine in upright orientation, whereby the spine is an essential factor in focusing stiffly compliant support of the mass of the body,
• the stiffly compliant support being selected such that a frequency of natural resonance exists within said range for the combined body and selected compliant support,
• and transcutaneously applying said mechanical load by vertically stimulating said support and the supported body into mechanical oscillation at said resonance frequency.