Imaging techniques are the standard method for assessment of fracture healing processes. However, these methods are perhaps not entirely reliable for early detection of complications, the most frequent of these being delayed union and non-union. A prompt diagnosis of such disorders could prevent prolonged patient distress and disability. Efforts should be directed towards the development of new technologies for improving accuracy in diagnosing complications following bone fractures. The variation in the levels of bone turnover markers (BTMs) have been assessed with regard to there ability to predict impaired fracture healing at an early stage, nevertheless the conclusions of some studies are not consensual. In this article the authors have revised the potential of BTMs as early predictors of prognosis in adult patients presenting traumatic bone fractures but who did not suffer from osteopenia or postmenopausal osteoporosis. The available information from the different studies performed in this field was systematized in order to highlight the most promising BTMs for the assessment of fracture healing outcome.

SummaryEighteen healthy skeletally mature (3 years old) ewes, with an average weight of 45 kg, of the Portuguese Churra da Terra Quente breed were used to evaluate the normal values of total and bone-specific isoform of alkaline phosphatase serum activities (ALP and BALP, respectively) and serum osteocalcin (OC) and their correlation with the serum mineralscalcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg) and ionized calcium (Ca 2þ ). The sheep were maintained under controlled environmental conditions (constant diurnal photoperiod cycle and identical husbandry and feeding) for six weeks before the collection of the blood samples. The measurement of the total ALP and serum minerals was performed with automated biochemistry analysers using the BioMé rieux w kits, the serum electrolyte Ca 2þ Diametrics Medical, Inc w specific cassettes and the BALP and OC METRATM kits from QUIDEL Keywords Total and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase; osteocalcin; minerals; serum; sheepThe biochemical markers of bone metabolism reflect the bone turnover process and are usually divided into formation and resorption markers. Formation markers are proteins or enzymes secreted by osteoblasts during the bone formation process, such as serum total and bone-specific isoform of alkaline phosphatase (BALP), serum osteocalcin (OC) and serum procollagen type I C-and N-terminal propeptides. The latter two molecules are released during the type I collagen molecule formation. Bone resorption markers are those resulting from the breakdown of type I collagen

between the numerical and experimental results reveals the appropriateness of the proposed test and procedure to characterize human cortical bone fracture under mode II loading. The proposed methodology can be viewed as a novel valuable tool to be used in parametric and methodical clinical studies regarding features (e.g., age, diseases, drugs) influencing bone shear fracture under mode II loading.

A miniaturized version of the double cantilever beam (DCB) test is used to determine the fracture energy in human cortical bone under pure mode I loading. An equivalent crack length based data-reduction scheme is used with remarkable advantages relative to classical methods. Digital image correlation (DIC) technique is employed to determine crack opening displacement at the crack tip being correlated with the evolution of fracture energy. A method is presented to obtain the cohesive law (trapezoidal bilinear softening) mimicking the mechanical behavior observed in bone. Cohesive zone modeling (CZM) (finite-element method) was performed to validate the procedure showing excellent agreement.

Abstract. Ancient masonry structures are usually associated to a high seismic vulnerability, mainly due to the properties of the materials (low tensile and