Design and analysis of biodegradable buttress threaded screws for fracture fixation in orthopedics: a finite element analysis

Screws made up of non-biodegradable materials (Ti-alloy, etc.) have been used since long for temporary joining/fixation in applications involving skeleton damage or bone fracture. These screws need to be removed after complete healing as their sustained presence results in many complications, such as - micro-fracturing, stress shielding, etc. The removal of these screws is a little difficult too as it may result in the healed bone getting broken/damaged again. These problems can be overcome by employing metallic implants (plate, screws, etc.) made up of biodegradable metallic materials (Mg-alloy, etc.). Such implants exhibit optimal mechanical performance, are biocompatible, have adequate biodegradation rates, and rely on a unique design. Internal fracture fixation makes usage of screws with or without an accompanying plate. Buttress-threaded screws are the most frequently used ones. These screws must have the capacity to bear usually occurring loads and hold fractured segments of bone all through the process of healing. Finite element analysis (FEA) is an effective technique used for testing and validation of desired characteristics for Mg-based biodegradable buttress-threaded screw (BBTS). The characteristics of interest include maximum possible pullout resistance to tightly hold segments of bone, torsional ability for tightening or tapping, bending ability during providing plate support by screw head, and resistance to combined loading (tensile/compressive and bending) during the self-support stage using merely the screw(s). According to test results and subsequent validation through discretization error and convergence plot, BBTS made up of Mg-alloy are found safe for regular applications under usually encountered impact loads. Topological optimization and vibration analysis are also performed wherein it is observed that design of BBTS is good enough for possible usage in fracture fixation in orthopaedics.

[1]  M. A. Abdul Kadir,et al.  A finite element study: Finding the best configuration between unilateral, hybrid, and ilizarov in terms of biomechanical point of view. , 2020, Injury.

[2]  G. Chandra,et al.  Preparation Strategies for Mg-alloys for Biodegradable Orthopaedic Implants and Other Biomedical Applications: A Review , 2020 .

[3]  G. Chandra,et al.  Design of a biodegradable plate for femoral shaft fracture fixation. , 2020, Medical engineering & physics.

[4]  A. Subramanian,et al.  Clinical complications of biodegradable screws for ligament injuries. , 2020, Materials science & engineering. C, Materials for biological applications.

[5]  G. Chandra,et al.  Biodegradable bone implants in orthopedic applications: a review , 2020 .

[6]  Jiangfeng Song,et al.  Latest research advances on magnesium and magnesium alloys worldwide , 2020, Journal of Magnesium and Alloys.

[7]  C. Shuai,et al.  Mg bone implant: Features, developments and perspectives , 2020 .

[8]  Liangliang Cheng,et al.  Materials evolution of bone plates for internal fixation of bone fractures: A review , 2020, Journal of Materials Science & Technology.

[9]  A. Vaziri,et al.  Computational modeling of human bone fracture healing affected by different conditions of initial healing stage , 2019, BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.

[10]  Omer Subasi,et al.  A novel adjustable locking plate (ALP) for segmental bone fracture treatment. , 2019, Injury.

[11]  P. Mendis,et al.  Effects of dynamic loading on fracture healing under different locking compression plate configurations: A finite element study. , 2019, Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials.

[12]  P. Mendis,et al.  The effects of dynamic loading on bone fracture healing under Ilizarov Circular Fixators. , 2019, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[13]  P. Mendis,et al.  Bone fracture healing under Ilizarov fixator: Influence of fixator configuration, fracture geometry, and loading , 2019, International journal for numerical methods in biomedical engineering.

[14]  Reema Narayan,et al.  Computational modeling for formulation design. , 2019, Drug discovery today.

[15]  T. Goh,et al.  Experimental Evaluation of Screw Pullout Force and Adjacent Bone Damage According to Pedicle Screw Design Parameters in Normal and Osteoporotic Bones , 2019, Applied Sciences.

[16]  F. Witte,et al.  Biodegradable Metals , 2018, Biomaterials Science.

[17]  Z. Trojanová,et al.  Superplastic Behaviour of Selected Magnesium Alloys , 2018, Magnesium Alloys - Selected Issue.

[18]  A. E. Wilson-Heid,et al.  Mechanical and degradation property improvement in a biocompatible Mg-Ca-Sr alloy by thermomechanical processing. , 2018, Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials.

[19]  T. Baldini,et al.  Introducing the “Bone-Screw-Fastener” for improved screw fixation in orthopedic surgery: a revolutionary paradigm shift? , 2017, Patient Safety in Surgery.

[20]  F. Kim,et al.  Why do surgeons continue to perform unnecessary surgery? , 2017, Patient Safety in Surgery.

[21]  Stéphane Cotin,et al.  Real-Time Error Control for Surgical Simulation , 2016, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[22]  Mansi Manish Oswal,et al.  Influence of three different implant thread designs on stress distribution: A three-dimensional finite element analysis , 2016, Journal of Indian Prosthodontic Society.

[23]  Yangde Li,et al.  Vascularized bone grafting fixed by biodegradable magnesium screw for treating osteonecrosis of the femoral head. , 2016, Biomaterials.

[24]  H. Bougherara,et al.  Long-term response of femoral density to hip implant and bone fracture plate: Computational study using a mechano-biochemical model. , 2016, Medical engineering & physics.

[25]  Prashant N. Kumta,et al.  In vivo study of magnesium plate and screw degradation and bone fracture healing. , 2015, Acta biomaterialia.

[26]  Frank Feyerabend,et al.  Mg and Mg alloys: how comparable are in vitro and in vivo corrosion rates? A review. , 2015, Acta biomaterialia.

[27]  Jong-Ho Lee,et al.  The influence of thread geometry on implant osseointegration under immediate loading: a literature review , 2014, The journal of advanced prosthodontics.

[28]  J. Ferreira,et al.  Bioresorbable Plates and Screws for Clinical Applications: A Review , 2012 .

[29]  G. Wood,et al.  Locking compression plates for the treatment of periprosthetic femoral fractures around well-fixed total hip and knee implants. , 2011, The Journal of arthroplasty.

[30]  Oğuz Eraslan,et al.  The effect of thread design on stress distribution in a solid screw implant: a 3D finite element analysis , 2010, Clinical Oral Investigations.

[31]  M. Gardner,et al.  The Mechanical Behavior of Locking Compression Plates Compared With Dynamic Compression Plates in a Cadaver Radius Model , 2005, Journal of orthopaedic trauma.

[32]  C. Chao,et al.  Increase of pullout strength of spinal pedicle screws with conical core: Biomechanical tests and finite element analyses , 2005, Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.

[33]  P. Prendergast,et al.  A mechano-regulation model for tissue differentiation during fracture healing: analysis of gap size and loading. , 2002, Journal of biomechanics.

[34]  J. Harvey,et al.  Clinical and Laboratory Performance of Bone Plates , 1994 .

[35]  W. Montgomery,et al.  Orthopedic fixation devices. , 1991, Radiographics : a review publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc.

[36]  D. A. Whittaker.  Book review , 1991, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication.

[37]  C. Chung.  A simplified application (APP) for the parametric design of screw-plate fixation of bone fractures. , 2018, Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials.

[38]  E. Taheri,et al.  Biomechanical analysis of diversified screw arrangement on 11 holes locking compression plate considering time-varying properties of callus , 2014 .

[39]  G. Rouhi,et al.  A BRIEF INTRODUCTION INTO ORTHOPAEDIC IMPLANTS : SCREWS , PLATES , AND NAILS , 2013 .

[40]  R. Uhl,et al.  History of the orthopedic screw. , 2013, Orthopedics.