Abstract: Bone disorders may be treated by applying a compressive preload and repetitive impacts. The patient may be maintained in a static position and the preload be provided by gravity or compression. The impact load, impact rate, and a number of impacts determined by a physician prior to treatment are chosen to generate electrical signals in the patient's bone such that the majority of energy of the electrical signals lies between 0.1 Hz and 1 kHz, and the peak amplitude values of the electrical signals lie between 15 and 30 Hz.

Abstract: A method and device are described for providing passive exercise treatment for increasing the amount, strength and proper anatomical distribution of bone in a patient suffering from a bone disorder. The method involves determining a value for impact load, impact rate, and treatment duration for the patient to provide treatment for the bone disorder, and repeatedly lifting the patient's heels a prescribed drop excursion and then allowing the patient's heels to drop from the prescribed drop excursion to impart the determined impact load at the determined impact rate for the determined treatment duration. The values for impact load, impact rate, and treatment duration are signals based upon the characteristics of the patient's skeletal tissue and ensure that an electrical signal generated in that tissue has certain characteristics.

Abstract: A patient strikes a sensor in a manner to produce an impact load at an impact rate along the axis of a bone experiencing the bone disorder, and that impact load and impact rate are measured and compared to desired impact load and impact rate values to determine a success indicator of how close the patient came to the desired impact load and impact rate values in striking the sensor. The success indicator is provided to the patient as feedback for the active exercise treatment and is recorded.

Abstract: Improved method and apparatus are disclosed for through hole plating of composite materials. The apparatus of the present invention comprises a plating cell which includes a baffle plate intermediate a plating anode and the material to be plated. The baffle plate acts to distribute the plating material within the plating fluid to provide a resultant plated material of uniform thickness and adhesion. The plating cell also includes a plating fluid supply system which is remote from the plating cell to thereby allow the characteristics of the plating solution to be monitored and controlled. The method which comprises the present invention includes the step of co-curing the composite material with a plating foil prior to plating the material to provide improved adhesion of the plating material to the composite material.