Design optimization of additively produced porous plate for femur fracture

Additive Manufacturing technology has enabled the production of geometrically complex and ultra-light lattice structures. Due to their high porosity, these structures are preferred in the production of implants used in the treatment of bone fractures, as they help minimize the stress shielding between the bone and the implant. This, in turn, supports healthier bone tissue growth. This study investigates the effect of a lattice-structured design of a plate used in femur fracture treatment on stress shielding. Unlike previous studies, the plate was designed as a two-layer structure, with the lower layer formed in solid form to prevent the lattice structure from damaging the surrounding soft tissue. The upper layer, on the other hand, was created using various lattice configurations such as BCC, Diamond, OT, BCC-Diamond, BCC-OT, and Diamond-OT, and compression tests along with finite element analyses were conducted on these plates. Compression tests and finite element analyses were performed on these plates. In addition, detailed investigations were conducted on the surface quality and dimensional accuracy of the plates. The results showed that lattice structured plates exhibited lower stress levels and underwent less deformation compared to solid plates. Among the various lattice designs, the OT lattice plate showed approximately 15-35% less stress shielding compared to the other configurations. Furthermore, test and analysis results indicated that increasing the strut thickness within the lattice structure significantly improved stress performance. It was also concluded that increases in porosity ratio and strut thickness positively affected the dimensional accuracy of the lattice structures.