Evaluation of the locking compression plates stress-strain fields

Abstract

Locking Compression Plates (LCP) have found application in the orthopaedic healing process in modern medicine. Their design is specifically modified depending on the bone and the loading the specific bone is subjected to. Dimensions of LCP, as well as mechanical characteristics, provide greater structural resistance than the bone itself; in practice, however, continuous application and cyclic loading can lead to fails and fractures. Defining of the testing approaches and procedures used for the evaluation of the stress and location of geometrical areas with potential risk of the stress concentration represent the aim of this investigation. Results obtained in this paper show that combined use of modern experimental methods (DIC) and numerical simulations on the modified and simplified LCP geometry, can be used to locate stress and strain fields, as well as areas with stress concentration that can result in the appearance of cracks during cyclic loading.