[Principles of thermography and its application in medicine, and mainly in orthopaedics.].

The autor deals with termography as a modern diagnostic tool from the viewpoint of physical regularities, the major historical events relating to infrared radiation and the ways of its detection. On the basic of physical regularities and historical knowledge he presents the application of thermography also in medicine. He describes the basic thermodynamic regularities and processes taking place in the human body and the possibilities of their detection by infrared camera. In details he deals with orthopaedic diseases the reaction of which on the termic regimen of the body can be monitored by termography. The article is an introduction to concrete studies of the application of thermography in orthopaedics which will be subsequently published. Key words: thermography, thermogram, infrared camera.