Manufacture and characterisation of bioresorbable fibre reinforced composite rods and screws for bone fracture fixation applications

Bioresorbable implants are an attractive alternative to metallic bone fixation devices and offer potential to eliminate some of the clinical challenges with the latter. This work explores the manufacturing of fully bioresorbable fibre-reinforced composite rods and screws for such applications. Poly...

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Main Author: Felfel, Reda
Format: Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
Published: 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14379/
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author Felfel, Reda
author_facet Felfel, Reda
author_sort Felfel, Reda
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Bioresorbable implants are an attractive alternative to metallic bone fixation devices and offer potential to eliminate some of the clinical challenges with the latter. This work explores the manufacturing of fully bioresorbable fibre-reinforced composite rods and screws for such applications. Poly lactic acid (PLA) and phosphate glass fibres (PGF) were combined to provide mechanical reinforcement and biocompatibility characteristics. Aligned and randomly reinforced PLA/PGF composites were prepared by compression moulding prior to thermomechanical deformation into rod and screw forms. In vitro degradation and mechanical properties retention were investigated in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at 37°C. The composite rods and screws exceeded published data for bioresorbable implants in their virgin state and were towards the upper range of cortical bone properties. The properties reduced rapidly in an aqueous medium and this was attributed to matrix plasticisation and fibre/matrix disbonding. The degraded samples maintained strength and stiffness close to the lower limits of the cortical bone. Water uptake and mass loss for composites exceeded equivalent values for PLA alone due to water wicking at the fibre/matrix interface. Ion release tests correlated linearly with mass loss profiles confirming that the dominant degradation mechanism was fibre dissolution. The PLA/PGF composites also exhibited good biocompatibility to human osteosarcoma and human mesenchymal stem cells.
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format Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
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institution University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
institution_category Local University
language English
last_indexed 2025-11-14T18:36:35Z
publishDate 2013
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spelling nottingham-143792025-02-28T11:30:27Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14379/ Manufacture and characterisation of bioresorbable fibre reinforced composite rods and screws for bone fracture fixation applications Felfel, Reda Bioresorbable implants are an attractive alternative to metallic bone fixation devices and offer potential to eliminate some of the clinical challenges with the latter. This work explores the manufacturing of fully bioresorbable fibre-reinforced composite rods and screws for such applications. Poly lactic acid (PLA) and phosphate glass fibres (PGF) were combined to provide mechanical reinforcement and biocompatibility characteristics. Aligned and randomly reinforced PLA/PGF composites were prepared by compression moulding prior to thermomechanical deformation into rod and screw forms. In vitro degradation and mechanical properties retention were investigated in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at 37°C. The composite rods and screws exceeded published data for bioresorbable implants in their virgin state and were towards the upper range of cortical bone properties. The properties reduced rapidly in an aqueous medium and this was attributed to matrix plasticisation and fibre/matrix disbonding. The degraded samples maintained strength and stiffness close to the lower limits of the cortical bone. Water uptake and mass loss for composites exceeded equivalent values for PLA alone due to water wicking at the fibre/matrix interface. Ion release tests correlated linearly with mass loss profiles confirming that the dominant degradation mechanism was fibre dissolution. The PLA/PGF composites also exhibited good biocompatibility to human osteosarcoma and human mesenchymal stem cells. 2013-03-15 Thesis (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en arr https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14379/1/594977.pdf Felfel, Reda (2013) Manufacture and characterisation of bioresorbable fibre reinforced composite rods and screws for bone fracture fixation applications. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham. Biomedical materials Fracture fixation Orthopaedic implants Fibre-reinforced composite rods and screws
spellingShingle Biomedical materials
Fracture fixation
Orthopaedic implants
Fibre-reinforced composite rods and screws
Felfel, Reda
Manufacture and characterisation of bioresorbable fibre reinforced composite rods and screws for bone fracture fixation applications
title Manufacture and characterisation of bioresorbable fibre reinforced composite rods and screws for bone fracture fixation applications
title_full Manufacture and characterisation of bioresorbable fibre reinforced composite rods and screws for bone fracture fixation applications
title_fullStr Manufacture and characterisation of bioresorbable fibre reinforced composite rods and screws for bone fracture fixation applications
title_full_unstemmed Manufacture and characterisation of bioresorbable fibre reinforced composite rods and screws for bone fracture fixation applications
title_short Manufacture and characterisation of bioresorbable fibre reinforced composite rods and screws for bone fracture fixation applications
title_sort manufacture and characterisation of bioresorbable fibre reinforced composite rods and screws for bone fracture fixation applications
topic Biomedical materials
Fracture fixation
Orthopaedic implants
Fibre-reinforced composite rods and screws
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14379/