Protective Implant for the Femoral Neck in Osteoporosis Patients

Abstract

This study proposes a new type of femoral neck reinforcement implant for patients suffering from osteoporosis. The aim of the implant is to prevent fractures of this part of the bone. Implant designs in six variants have been simulation-tested in two situations: a typical static load and a simulated dynamic load, in which the force was applied in a manner corresponding to a sideways fall. The tests were carried out for six different biocompatible materials, i.e., three polymeric and three titanium alloys from which the implants could be made. The obtained results tentatively demonstrated the validity of the proposed concept and allowed the design with the best properties to emerge. In addition, they showed that the use of a polymeric material, in particular polylactide, leads to a more substantial reduction in maximum stress values.