WearTec

Stress fractures are hairline fractures in the bone that develop from previoulsy formed microcracks. They can occur when overtraining and/or conducting hard physical activity for long periods of time.
Whilst our bones can regenerate themselves, it is important to actually allow the bone to heal and to stop any strenous physical activity before stress fractures occur.

A research project at the Universities of Purdue and Toledo has now created a wearable prototype that can warn its wearer when a stress fracture is imminent so that the person can stop their activity before the fracture occurs. The researchers are using sensors that measure seismic waves, similar to the ones created by earthquakes. Once ready for production these sensors could be integrated into clothes or shoes and provide data to a PDA or other device which would sound the fracture alert.