Design and testing of a bioabsorbable fixation device

This paper documents the results of a research project to design, fabricate and test bioabsorbable fixation plates and screws that maintain the proper level of stiffness and strength throughout the fracture healing process. The composite implants were fabricated from poly(hydroxy acids), resins and absorbable suture fibers. Mechanical properties used in the finite element analysis were obtained from specimen tests of candidate materials. The finite element models of the fracture fixation site included the fixation implants, bone and callus, and predicted the amount of micro motion at the fracture site. Unfortunately, the bioabsorbable material did not exhibit a high enough initial stiffness to prevent unacceptable micro motion of the fracture site