Evaluating different shapes of cranial fixation mini-plates using finite element method

Abstract

Medical grade 3D printing offers the possibility to manufacture patient-specific implants to treat cranial defects. The performance of the implant assembly depends on many factors, such as material, thickness, size and manufacturing accuracy. A significant factor in the stability and success of the assembly is the fixation method. Cranial implants are usually fixed to the skull by means of mini-plates. Biomechanical assessment of fixing the implant to the skull might be helpful not only for mini-plate design but might be beneficial also for the surgeons. In this study, four different mini-plate designs were analyzed and compared based on the stress-strain analysis of one cranial implant fixed at three locations by mini-plates. Computational simulations were done using Finite Element Method.