title: Computational simulation of the early stage of bone healing under different configurations of locking compression plates.
abstract: Flexible fixation or the so-called 'biological fixation' has been shown to encourage the formation of fracture callus, leading to better healing outcomes. However, the nature of the relationship between the degree of mechanical stability provided by a flexible fixation and the optimal healing outcomes has not been fully understood. In this study, we have developed a validated quantitative model to predict how cells in fracture callus might respond to change in their mechanical microenvironment due to different configurations of locking compression plate (LCP) in clinical practice, particularly in the early stage of healing. The model predicts that increasing flexibility of the LCP by changing the bone-plate distance (BPD) or the plate working length (WL) could enhance interfragmentary strain in the presence of a relatively large gap size (> 3 mm). Furthermore, conventional LCP normally results in asymmetric tissue development during early stage of callus formation, and the increase of BPD or WL is insufficient to alleviate this problem.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Infrastructure Engineering , The University of Melbourne , VIC 3010 , Australia.
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miramini
authors.forename: Lihai
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Marinis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pirpiris
authors.forename: Priyan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mendis
authors.forename: Kunle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oloyede
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001860:Bone Plates; D002146:Bony Callus / Q000502:physiology*; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods*; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological
keywords: bone healing; computational modelling; interfragmentary strain; locking compression plate; tissue differentiation