Quality Locked Plating Systems Design

Locked plating systems have emerged in recent years as effective devices for treating and stabilizing femoral fractures. Nevertheless, clinical failures due to plate yielding and fracture have been observed – particularly with distal femoral plates. The majority of failures are attributed to improper placement, fixation techniques, or plate selection, and to premature weight bearing by the patient. While the mechanical function of plating systems is well-understood, the optimum design parameters that lead to efficient stability and fracture healing, such as plate geometry, material properties, and fixation techniques (screw configuration and the use of hole inserts), are unknown.

The present paper presents an integrated computer-aided engineering (CAE) approach combining digital imaging, solid modeling, robust design methodology, and finite element analysis in order to conduct a parametric investigation of the design of locked plating systems. The present study allows for understanding the contributions of different design parameters on the biomechanics and reliability of these systems. Furthermore, the present approach will lead to exploration of optimum design parameters that will result in robust system performance. Three-dimensional surface models of cortical and cancellous femoral bone were derived via digital CT image processing techniques and a medical imaging analysis program. A nine orthogonal array matrix simulation (L9) was conducted using finite element methods to study the effects of the various design parameters on plate performance.