Biomechanical Comparison of a Novel Implant and Commercial Fixation Devices for AO/OTA 43-C1 Type Distal Tibial Fracture

Abstract

This study compares the novel Asia Distal Lateral Tibial Locking Plate mechanical stability to that of the current anterolateral and medial tibial plates based on finite element analysis. Four-part fracture fragment model of the distal tibia was reconstructed using CAD software. A load was applied to simulate the swing phase of gait. The implant stress and the construct stiffness were compared. The results of the anterolateral plate and the medial plate were similar and the displacement values were determined lower than those in the medial plate. In the simulated distal tibia fracture, the Aplus Asia Distal Lateral Tibial Locking Plate and medial distal tibial plate tibia fixations will lead to a stiffer bone-implant construct compared to the anterolateral distal tibial plate. Moreover, the stress in the Aplus Asia Distal Lateral Tibial Locking Plate was lower than those for the medial distal tibial plate and anterolateral bone plates. The Aplus Asia Distal Lateral Tibial Locking Plate has better stabilization and is an anterolateral plate that avoids more soft tissue damage than other bone plates. The Aplus Asia Distal Lateral Tibial Locking Plate could be one of a suitable design in tibia distal fracture fixation.