J. Phys. IV France 125 (2005) 733-735
DOI: 10.1051/jp4:2005125168

Photoacoustic and SEM analysis of fracture bone callus to different consolidation times

P.A. Lomelí Mejia^{1, 2}, G. Urriolagoitia², J.L. Jiménez Pérez³, A. Cruz Orea⁴, H. Lecona Butron¹ and H. Villegas Castrejón<sup>1

1</sup>  Centro Nacional de Rehabilitación y Ortopedia, Calz. México-Xochimilco # 289, Col. Arenal de Guadalupe, CP 1438 Mexico, DF, Mexico
²  IPN SEPI-ESIME, Departamento de Mecánica, Zacatenco, Mexico, DF, Mexico
³  CICATA-IPN, Legaria 694, Col. Irrigación, 11500 Mexico DF, Mexico
⁴  Departamento de Física, CINVESTAV-IPN, A.P. 14-740, 07300 Mexico, DF, Mexico

palm7@hotmail.com
jimenezp@fis.cinvestav.mx

Abstract
The Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (PA) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to perform a study of fractured bone callus to different consolidation times. From these techniques we obtained optical absorption spectra and pictures of male rat fractured bones at different consolidation times. From these spectra it was possible to observe the presence of p-Nitrophenylphosphatase, characteristic phosphatase in rat fractured bones through their absorption peaks which were compared with characteristic reported peaks in the literature for this phosphatase. In this study we showed that p-Nitrophenylphosphatase could be considered as an indicator of the repair process of bone fractures. Through the complementary SEM analysis it was possible to obtain different pictures as the callus grows in the time.

© EDP Sciences 2005