Finite Element Analysis of Zn-0.5 Mg Alloy Bone Plates over Tibia Fracture Model in Rabbit
摘要
Biodegradable Zn alloys have good mechanical strength and biodegradability, which can effectively solve clinical problems such as stress shielding and reoperation. In this study, we propose a novel biodegradable Zn-0.5 Mg alloy bone plate and establish corrosion models considering the degradation of the plates when they are used for fracture. FEA is used to investigate the mechanical behavior of the Zn-0.5 Mg alloy bone plate in vitro under physiological loading conditions. Moreover, a comparative analysis of the biomechanical performance between Zn-0.5 Mg alloy and Titanium (Ti) alloy bone plate is also evaluated in a tibia fracture model of rabbit. The three-point bending test is employed to validate the maximum fracture force and flexural strength of the fixed fracture bone. The results indicate that the designed Zn-0.5 Mg alloy bone plate model is safe when being used as a fixation plate. The stress shielding rate of Zn-0.5 Mg alloy bone plate decreases by 30.38% three months after implantation. In addition, the flexural strength of the fracture tibia fixed with Zn-0.5 Mg alloy group is similar to Ti alloy bone plate group 3 months after surgery. The biodegradable Zn-0.5 Mg alloy bone plate could effectively fix the tibia fracture of rabbit with lower stress shielding rate compared to the Ti alloy bone plate. It can be concluded that the Zn-0.5 Mg alloy bone plate has promising application in the field of orthopaedical implants.