Mechanical Performance of Metallic Bone Screws Evaluated Using Bone Models

Abstract

To evaluate mechanical performance properties of various types of cortical bone screw, cancellous bone screw, and locking bolt, we conducted torsional breaking and durability tests, screw driving torque tests into bone models, and screw pullout tests (crosshead speed: 10 mm/min) after driving torque tests. The 2° proof and rupture torques of a screw, which were estimated from torque versus rotational angle curves, increased with increasing core diameter of the screw. The durability limit of metallic screws obtained by four-point bending durability tests increased with increasing core diameter. The compressive, tensile, and shear strengths of the bone models used for the mechanical testing of orthopedic devices increased with increasing density of the bone model. The strength and modulus obtained for solid rigid polyurethane foam (SRPF) and cellular rigid polyurethane foam (CRPF) lay on the same straight line. Among the three strengths, the rate of increase in compressive strength with the increase in density was the highest. The maximum torque obtained by screw driving torque tests for up to 8.3 rotations (3000°) into the bone models tended to increase with increasing core diameter. In particular, the maximum torque increased linearly with increasing effective surface area of the screw, as newly defined in this work. The maximum pullout load increased linearly with increasing number of rotations and mechanical strength of the bone model. Screws with low driving torque and high pullout load were considered to have excellent fixation and are a target for development.