Buckling Analysis of a Functionally Graded Implant Model for Treatment of Bone Fractures: A Numerical Study

In orthopedics, the current internal fixations often use screws or intramedullary rods that obstruct bone material. In this paper, an internal implant was modelled as a hollow cylindrical sector made of a functionally graded material (FGM), which will hold bone in place with less obstruction of bone surface. Functionally graded implant was considered as an inhomogeneous composite structure, with continuously compositional variation from a ceramic at the outer diameter to a metal at the inner diameter. The buckling behavior of the implant was numerically analyzed using a finite element analysis software (ANSYS), and the structural stability of the implant was assessed. The buckling critical loads were calculated for different fixation lengths, cross sectional areas, and different sector angles. These critical loads were then compared with the critical loads of an FGM hollow cylinder with the same cross sectional area. Results showed that the critical load of the hollow cylindrical sector was ∼ 63%, ∼ 70%, and ∼ 73% of the hollow cylinder for different fixation lengths, cross sectional areas, and sector angles, respectively. Further investigations are warranted to study the relation between the composition profile and the implant stability, which can lead to batter internal fixation solutions.