Effects of bone-plate materials on the healing process of fractured tibia bone under time-varying conditions: a finite element analysis

Stress shielding is known to cause bone refracture or cause low healing rate in fractured bones. The numerical study of bone healing process of a transverse fractured tibia was conducted in this research to reduce the stress shielding. The stress and strain on the callus were evaluated when bone plates of different metallic and non-metallic biomaterials were used. Time varying material properties of the callus were applied, and loading conditions were coupled with material properties of the callus. The strain distribution on the callus, and the maximum stress on the callus and bone plate were analysed. The analysis results shows that Polyether ether ketone/Nano-Hydroxyapatite/Short Carbon Fibre (PEEK/nano-HA/SCF) is most suitable for bone plating application for tibia. PEEK/nano-HA/SCF is chosen as it provides the optimum strain in the callus to promote bone healing. It has the closest stiffness to the cortical bone and hence stress shielding is minimized extensively. It has a uniform strain distribution at the fractured site for early bone healing process.