Biomechanical Evaluation of a Carbon Fibre Epoxy Composite Plate in an Injured and Healed Femur Using Infrared Thermography and Finite Element Analysis

Femur fractures are caused by high energy trauma or by musculoskeletal impairments, such as osteoporosis. The presence of total hip replacement (THR) superior to a femoral mid-shaft fracture greatly complicates fixation and treatment. The most conventional fracture fixation method is internal fixation by metal plate and screws. However, metal being stiffer than bone, causes stress shielding and bone resorption. The goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of a less stiff carbon fibre epoxy plate as fracture fixation in an injured and healed femur. IR thermography validated by finite element analysis (FEA) was used to investigate the stress patterns of an injured and healed femur under an average cyclic loading of 800 N at an adduction angle of 7 degrees to simulate the single-legged stance phase of walking. The average stiffness of an injured femur with carbon/epoxy plate was 532.1 N/mm (static) and 625.3 N/mm (dynamic) respectively, that increased to 597.6 N/mm (static) and 697.9 N/mm (dynamic) for the metal plate. For the healed femur, the average stiffness increased from 1660.3 N/mm (static) and 2010.0 N/mm (dynamic) for the carbon/epoxy plate to 1704.4 N/mm (static) and 2070.4 N/mm (dynamic) for the metal plate. IR stress maps for carbon/epoxy and metal plate (injured femur) showed an overall difference of 29.2% for the anterior and posterior sides. This is the first study to assess experimentally and computationally the biomechanical behavior of injured and healed synthetic femur with two different plates construct.

Year	Entry
2012	Shah S, Bougherara H, Schemitsch EH, Zdero R. Biomechanical stress maps of an artificial femur obtained using a new infrared thermography technique validated by strain gages. Med Eng Phys. December 2012;34(10):1496-1502.
1992	Cheal EJ, Spector M, Hayes WC. Role of loads and prosthesis material properties on the mechanics of the proximal femur after total hip arthroplasty. J Orthop Res. May 1992;10(3):405-422.
1983	Huiskes R, Chao EYS. A survey of finite element analysis in orthopedic biomechanics: the first decade. J Biomech. 1983;16(6):385-409.
2001	Bergmann G, Deuretzbacher G, Heller M, Graichen F, Rohlmann A, Strauss J, Duda GN. Hip contact forces and gait patterns from routine activities. J Biomech. July 2001;34(7):859-871.
1978	Crowninshield RD, Johnston RC, Andrews JG, Brand RA. A biomechanical investigation of the human hip. J Biomech. 1978;11(1-2):75-85.
1972	Brekelmans WAM, Poort HW, Slooff TJJH. A new method to analyse the mechanical behaviour of skeletal parts. Acta Orthop Scand. 1972;43(5):301-317.
1996	Cristofolini L, Viceconti M, Cappello A, Toni A. Mechanical validation of whole bone composite femur models. J Biomech. April 1996;29(4):525-535.
2001	Heiner AD, Brown TD. Structural properties of a new design of composite replicate femurs and tibias. J Biomech. January 2001;34(6):773-781.
1987	Huiskes R, Weinans H, Grootenboer HJ, Dalstra M, Fudala B, Slooff TJ. Adaptive bone-remodeling theory applied to prosthetic-design analysis. J Biomech. 1987;20(11-12):1135-1150.
1971	Kempson GE, Spivey CJ, Swanson SAV, Freeman MAR. Patterns of cartilage stiffness on normal and degenerate human femoral heads. J Biomech. December 1971;4(6):597-609.
1980	Martens M, van Audekercke R, de Meester P, Mulier JC. The mechanical characteristics of the long bones of the lower extremity in torsional loading. J Biomech. 1980;13(8):667-676.
1983	Martens M, Van Audekercke R, Delport P, De Meester P, Mulier JC. The mechanical characteristics of cancellous bone at the upper femoral region. J Biomech. 1983;16(12):971-983.
1995	van Rietbergen B, Weinans H, Huiskes R, Odgaard A. A new method to determine trabecular bone elastic properties and loading using micromechanical finite-element models. J Biomech. January 1995;28(1):69-81.
2009	Cristofolini L, Juszczyk M, Taddei F, Viceconti M. Strain distribution in the proximal human femoral metaphysis. Proc Inst Mech Eng Part H-J Eng Med. April 2009;2223(3):273-288.
1981	Hayes WC, Snyder B. Toward a quantitative formulation of Wolff's Law in trabecular bone. In: Cowin SC, ed. Mechanical Properties of Bone. The Joint ASME-ASCE Applied Mechnics, Fluids Engineering and Bioengineering Conference; June 22-24, 1981; Boulder, CO. New York, NY: American Society of Mechical Engineers; 1981:43-68.
1993	Bergmann G, Graichen F, Rohlmann A. Hip joint loading during walking and running, measured in two patients. J Biomech. August 1993;26(8):969-990.
2011	Zdero R, McConnell AJ, Peskun C, Syed KA, Schemitsch EH. Biomechanical measurements of torsion-tension coupling in human cadaveric femurs. J Biomech Eng. 2011;133(1):014501.
1988	Davy DT, Kotzar GM, Brown RH, Heiple KG, Goldberg VM, Heiple KG Jr, Berilla J, Burstein AH. Telemetric force measurements across the hip after total arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg. January 1988;70A(1):45-50.
1967	Paul JP. Forces transmitted by joints in the human body. Proc Inst Mech Eng. 1967;181(pt 3J):8-15.
1985	Cheal EJ, Hayes WC, Lee CH, Snyder BD, Miller J. Stress analysis of a condylar knee tibial component: influence of metaphyseal shell properties and cement injection depth. J Orthop Res. 1985;3(4):424-434.

Year

Entry

2012

Shah S, Bougherara H, Schemitsch EH, Zdero R. Biomechanical stress maps of an artificial femur obtained using a new infrared thermography technique validated by strain gages. Med Eng Phys. December 2012;34(10):1496-1502.

1992

Cheal EJ, Spector M, Hayes WC. Role of loads and prosthesis material properties on the mechanics of the proximal femur after total hip arthroplasty. J Orthop Res. May 1992;10(3):405-422.

1983

Huiskes R, Chao EYS. A survey of finite element analysis in orthopedic biomechanics: the first decade. J Biomech. 1983;16(6):385-409.

2001

Bergmann G, Deuretzbacher G, Heller M, Graichen F, Rohlmann A, Strauss J, Duda GN. Hip contact forces and gait patterns from routine activities. J Biomech. July 2001;34(7):859-871.

1978

Crowninshield RD, Johnston RC, Andrews JG, Brand RA. A biomechanical investigation of the human hip. J Biomech. 1978;11(1-2):75-85.

1972

Brekelmans WAM, Poort HW, Slooff TJJH. A new method to analyse the mechanical behaviour of skeletal parts. Acta Orthop Scand. 1972;43(5):301-317.

1996

Cristofolini L, Viceconti M, Cappello A, Toni A. Mechanical validation of whole bone composite femur models. J Biomech. April 1996;29(4):525-535.

2001

Heiner AD, Brown TD. Structural properties of a new design of composite replicate femurs and tibias. J Biomech. January 2001;34(6):773-781.

1987

Huiskes R, Weinans H, Grootenboer HJ, Dalstra M, Fudala B, Slooff TJ. Adaptive bone-remodeling theory applied to prosthetic-design analysis. J Biomech. 1987;20(11-12):1135-1150.

1971

Kempson GE, Spivey CJ, Swanson SAV, Freeman MAR. Patterns of cartilage stiffness on normal and degenerate human femoral heads. J Biomech. December 1971;4(6):597-609.

1980

Martens M, van Audekercke R, de Meester P, Mulier JC. The mechanical characteristics of the long bones of the lower extremity in torsional loading. J Biomech. 1980;13(8):667-676.

1983

Martens M, Van Audekercke R, Delport P, De Meester P, Mulier JC. The mechanical characteristics of cancellous bone at the upper femoral region. J Biomech. 1983;16(12):971-983.

1995

van Rietbergen B, Weinans H, Huiskes R, Odgaard A. A new method to determine trabecular bone elastic properties and loading using micromechanical finite-element models. J Biomech. January 1995;28(1):69-81.

2009

Cristofolini L, Juszczyk M, Taddei F, Viceconti M. Strain distribution in the proximal human femoral metaphysis. Proc Inst Mech Eng Part H-J Eng Med. April 2009;2223(3):273-288.

1981

Hayes WC, Snyder B. Toward a quantitative formulation of Wolff's Law in trabecular bone. In: Cowin SC, ed. Mechanical Properties of Bone. The Joint ASME-ASCE Applied Mechnics, Fluids Engineering and Bioengineering Conference; June 22-24, 1981; Boulder, CO. New York, NY: American Society of Mechical Engineers; 1981:43-68.

1993

Bergmann G, Graichen F, Rohlmann A. Hip joint loading during walking and running, measured in two patients. J Biomech. August 1993;26(8):969-990.

2011

Zdero R, McConnell AJ, Peskun C, Syed KA, Schemitsch EH. Biomechanical measurements of torsion-tension coupling in human cadaveric femurs. J Biomech Eng. 2011;133(1):014501.

1988

Davy DT, Kotzar GM, Brown RH, Heiple KG, Goldberg VM, Heiple KG Jr, Berilla J, Burstein AH. Telemetric force measurements across the hip after total arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg. January 1988;70A(1):45-50.

1967

Paul JP. Forces transmitted by joints in the human body. Proc Inst Mech Eng. 1967;181(pt 3J):8-15.

1985

Cheal EJ, Hayes WC, Lee CH, Snyder BD, Miller J. Stress analysis of a condylar knee tibial component: influence of metaphyseal shell properties and cement injection depth. J Orthop Res. 1985;3(4):424-434.

Year	Entry
2015	Avval PT. Predicting Bone Remodeling in Response to Orthopedic Implantations: Computational Study Using a Mechano-Biochemical Model [PhD thesis]. Ryerson University; 2015.

Year

Entry

2015

Avval PT. Predicting Bone Remodeling in Response to Orthopedic Implantations: Computational Study Using a Mechano-Biochemical Model [PhD thesis]. Ryerson University; 2015.