Finite element analysis of the effect of bending stiffness and contact condition of composite bone plates with simple rectangular cross-section on the bio-mechanical behaviour of fractured long bones

Abstract

The relationship between mechanical stimuli and curing tissue generation and development should be quantitatively evaluated to better understand the effective healing of bone fractures. In this paper, finite element analyses were carried out to estimate the interfragmentary strain distribution at the fracture site of a tibia according to the bending stiffness and contact conditions of composite bone plates with simplified rectangular cross-section, and polymeric porous layers at the contact area. We found that a composite bone plate with polymeric porous layers provided positive effects on callus generation at the fracture site, and effectively reduced the contact stress at the contact area. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.