Finite Element Evaluation of Novel Lengthadjustable Metal Implant Plate for Distal Radius Fracture

Distal radius fractures are among the most frequent orthopedic fractures and are treated using internal fixation in order to have proper healing. Conventional titanium alloy plates, though widely used, causes stress shielding due to their stiffness and could cause bone resorption and loosening of screws. Additionally, fixed-length plates could not adapt to specific individual anatomical variations in a few cases, especially with the occurrence of complex fractures or resections due to tumor. The present study introduces an adjustable length metal implant plate that aims to enhance fixation stability and stiffness as well as decrease stress shielding effects. A comparative analysis is conducted against conventional titanium locking plates to assess improvements in load distribution and implant adaptability. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was performed to analyze the biomechanical performance of the new intended implant in terms of stress distribution, strain deformation, and stiffness under physiological loading conditions. The FEA calculation revealed that the maximum stress within the novel length-adjustable implant plate was 195.7 MPa, which is far below the yield strength of Ti-6Al-4V (880 MPa), offering structural stability when loaded. Maximum displacement of the novel plate implant was 1.945 mm and bone deformation were 2.144 mm, well within acceptable clinical limits. Stiffness of implant analysis indicated that the novel implant had $5 ~\mathrm{N} / \text{mm}$ stiffness versus $10 ~\mathrm{N} / \text{mm}$ for conventional plates, reducing stress shielding and enabling increased load contribution. These findings suggest that the implant described here could provide a more adaptive and mechanically more efficient solution for distal radius fracture treatment with possible improvement in long-term fixation stability and patient outcome.