Fit optimisation of a distal medial tibia plate.
An iterative method for the fit optimisation of a pre-contoured fracture fixation plate for a given bone data set is presented. Both plate shape optimisation and plate fit quantification are conducted in a virtual environment utilising computer graphical methods and 3D bone and plate models. Two optimised shapes of the undersurface of an existing distal medial tibia plate were generated based on a dataset of 45 3D bone models reconstructed from computed tomography image data of Japanese tibiae. The existing plate shape achieved an anatomical fit on 13% of tibiae from the dataset. Modified plate 1 achieved an anatomical fit for 42% and modified plate 2 a fit for 67% of the bones. If either modified plate 1 or plate 2 is used, then the anatomical fit can be increased to 82% for the same dataset. Issues pertaining to any further improvement in plate fit/shape are discussed.
Schmutz
Beat
B
Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. b.schmutz@qut.edu.au
Wullschleger
Martin E
ME
Noser
Hansrudi
H
Barry
Mark
M
Meek
John
J
Schutz
Michael A
MA
D001860:Bone Plates; D006801:Humans; D013977:Tibia; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed