Abstract
Biodegradable materials are used in two key sectors of orthopaedics – to fabricate bone fixators and scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration. In case of osteosynthesis, fixators made from biodegradable materials disappear from the body after a certain time. So, a necessity of a one more operation for their removal is excluded. In the present study, the acromioclavicular joint osteosynthesis plates made of magnesium alloy (WE43), titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-7Nb) and stainless steel (316L) are compared utilizing the finite element analysis. The research showed that stresses in the magnesium alloy plate were lower, compared to the titanium alloy plate or the stainless steel plate. However, the tensile strength of magnesium is over 2 times lower, as compared to stainless steel and 5 times lower, than titanium alloys. Magnesium alloy is not suitable for manufacturing plates with low thickness (2 and 2.5 mm), because the stresses generated in them exceed the yield strength of the material.
Highlights
Biodegradable materials intended for osteosynthesis of bone fractures and bone regeneration recently generated a great interest
The aim of this paper is to compare the traditional materials for fixation plates, i.e. titanium alloy and stainless steel, to the new biodegradable material – magnesium alloy, to establish the stresses appearing in plates of different thicknesses and materials as well as displacements appearing in the bones
The minimum stresses were formed in a 4.5 mm thick plate made of magnesium alloy (WE43) – 99.92 MPa
Summary
Biodegradable materials intended for osteosynthesis of bone fractures and bone regeneration recently generated a great interest. Materials for bone repair can be classified into two groups: bioinert and biodegradable materials (Sheikh et al, 2015). On the contrary, where the maximum loads are distributed, the bone forms an additional osseous layer to compensate them. One of the key problems of application of bioinert implants in orthopedics is a high difference between the elasticity modulus of the bone and the implant. The load usually distributes in the implant and the bone is less loaded. This is termed as “stress shielding” which results in unwanted bone resorption and implant loosening (Sheikh et al, 2015; Sumner, 2015; Chanlalit, Shukla, Fitzsimmons, An, & O’Driscoll, 2012)
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