Finite element analysis to determine the stress distribution, displacement and safety factor on a microplate for the fractured jaw case

Abstract

Microplate is a connecting plate that can be used for jaw bone fixation. In the last two decades, microplate has been used so many times to help reconstruction of fractured jaw bone which is called mandibular bone or mandible bone. The plate is used to provide stable fixation of the fractured bone tissue during healing and reconstruction process. In this study Finite Element Analysis was used to predict the stress concentration and distribution on a microplate, displacement on the microplate and also to determine the safety factor of the microplate based on maximum allowable stress value, and finally to ascertain whether microplate is safe to use or not. The microplate was produced from punching process using titanium grade 1 (pure titanium) as material with a thickness of 500 µm. The results of the research indicated that the microplate was safe to use according to the maximum stress around the hole, displacement around the hole and also the safety factor of the microplate.