本文介紹一種新式的壓痕量測技術，可檢測活體內骨骼組織之機械性質。參考點壓痕量測裝置由參考探針與測試探針組成，從受測者小腿骨表面穿過皮下插入，可在非破壞情況下量測許多機械性質，如硬度、彈性係數、最大壓痕距離與壓痕距離增加值等。其中壓痕距離增加值，顯示骨折患者與正常受測者有顯著差異性，可做為評估骨骼斷裂風險之指標。此方法在醫學應用上極具潛力，可更進一步瞭解骨組織在活體中之機械性質。

A novel indentation technique which can probe the mechanical properties of bone tissues in vivo is introduced
in this paper. The reference point indentation (RPI) instrument consists of a reference probe and a testing probe.
By inserting the probes through the skin onto tibia bone, various mechanical properties such as hardness, elastic
modulus, maximum indentation distance, indentation distance increase (IDI) can be measured non-invasively. The
results showed that IDI were signifi cantly higher in patients who suffered from bone fracture than in controls and
can be used to evaluate fracture risk. The technique has a great potential in the medical fi eld and can provide better
understanding of the in vivo mechanical properties of bone tissues.