Developing Biodegradable Polymeric Composite for Nails Manufacturing of Bone Fracture Fixation

Abstract

Biodegradable implants, a popular research focus, aim to address issues associated with traditional titanium and stainless-steel implants, including bone abnormalities and the need for additional surgeries. Our novel protein-based thermoplastic material, derived from blood albumin, serves as a promising biodegradable implant. Despite inherent weak mechanical properties in biodegradable materials, we enhance our biopolymer by incorporating reinforcing components like Nanoclay, PVA, and PLA. Three composite groups were tested, and various fabrication techniques were explored, revealing that dry casting with pure protein or 20% nanoclay concentration yields the best mechanical properties for bone fixation plates. The tensile strength of the dry casting plate is 8.3 MPa for pure protein. Our results indicate that this novel protein-based material, particularly with dry casting, presents a promising alternative to traditional fixation plate materials for pediatric or maxilla bone fractures with lower load requirements.