Failure Analysis of PHILOS Plate Construct Used for Pantalar Arthrodesis Paper II—Screws and FEM Simulations
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. Bone Screw Aspects of Design
- The screw heads can be crossed, hexagonal, or star. The crossed screw head driver has a good advantage in torque transmission [8]. However, a hexagonal driver provides a strong and insensitive alignment connection with the screw.
- The screw shaft represents a smooth link with no threads and might be (1) fully threaded with the cross-sectional diameter decreasing from the head to the bottom tip of the screw; (2) has a similar diameter for both the shaft and the thread root and provides strength and alignment inside the holes, however, it may require over drilling during surgery; and (3) have a similar diameter for both the shaft and the thread major diameter, however, with a weaker shaft [9].
- Screw threads with a constant angle increase the depth and pitch of the screw, while decreasing the pitch of the screw decreases the depth but keeps the angle constant. The surface of the thread should be perpendicular to the pullout load direction [9].
- The screw tip can be cork, blunt, self-tapping, or self-cutting. A self-tapping tip has a sharp flue that needs a lower amount of force. However, it needs 30–40% more torque to be placed [9].
1.2. Biomechanics of Bone Screws
2. Background
3. Visual Examination
3.1. The Plate
3.2. The Screws
4. Fractographic Examination
5. Material Conformity
6. Computational Simulations of Failures
6.1. Finite Element Analysis
6.2. The Results
7. Discussion
8. Conclusions
- Fractographic examination of the cortical and locking screws supports the mechanism of corrosion-fatigue fracture from crack initiation sites due to the presence of inclusion bodies and pits and regions of high plastic strains due to load bear. The regular features, such as beach marks and striations, were present indicating fatigue and/or corrosion fatigue controlled the failure process.
- The simulations showed that the maximum von Mises stresses of the PHILOS plate increased by 2.2% with the increase in cortical screw displacement as expected as the screws began to fail, giving rise to higher macro-motion of the construct at the same time lowering the coefficient of friction between the contacts.
- The analysis of cortical screws showed that the stresses increased by 7.4% as the angle between the screw and the plate increased.
- The stresses in the locking screws were lower than the cortical screws by 25.5%, and this may be a result of the locking screws’ fixed angles with less range of motion.The finite element simulation of the plate validated the loading conditions and regions of stress development that supported the visual and fractographic examinations causing the physical failure of the PHILOS system.
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
References
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Authors | Year | Title | Age | Gender Male:Female | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ahmad, J., Pour, A.E., and Raikin, S.M. [1] | 2007 | The modified use of a proximal humeral locking plate for tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis | 22–72 years Mean: 54.2 | 11:6 | 18 patients showed that 94.4% (17 of 18) of the patients had successful fusion after approximately 20 weeks when the proximal humeral locking plates were used for obtaining tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. |
Shi, Z., Zhang, C., Gu, W., Zhang, C., and Zeng, B. [15] | 2011 | Ankle arthrodesis by lateral malleolus osteotomy and internal fixation with locking proximal humeral plate | 36–67 years Mean: 48 | 10:8 | Reported successful results when the same plate was used for ankle arthrodesis. |
Haider Twaij and Dev Damany | 2013 | PHILOS humerus plate for a distal tibial fracture | 51 | 1:0 | A successful result for the case. |
Shearman, A.D., Eleftheriou, K.I., Patel, A., Pradhan, R., and Rosenfeld, P.F. [4] | 2016 | Use of a Proximal Humeral Locking Plate for Complex Ankle and Hindfoot Fusion | 25–74 years Mean: 56.1 | 11:10 | 17 of 21 patients (81%) had satisfactory results when proximal locking plates were used for obtaining tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. |
Name of Device | Size | Company | Serial No. | Date of Insertion | Failure First Noticed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
LCP Proximal Humerus Locking Plate | 3.5 mm | DePuy Synthes | N/A | 08/2008 | 2014 |
Cortical Screws | 3.5 mm | DePuy Synthes | N/A | 08/2008 | 2010–2014 |
Locking Screws | 3.5 mm | DePuy Synthes | N/A | 08/2008 | 2011–2014 |
Cannulated Screw | 6.5 mm | Zimmer | N/A | 08/2008 | 2013 |
Composition | ASTM Standards F138-03 and F139-03 | Screw | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(Min–Max) | Area 1 | Area 2 | Area 3 | Average | |
%Mn | 0–2.04 | 1.63 | 1.51 | 1.62 | 1.57 |
%Si | 0–0.80 | 0.62 | 0.63 | 0.42 | 0.56 |
%Cr | 16.80–19.20 | 18.57 | 18.68 | 18.71 | 18.65 |
%Mo | 2.15–3.10 | 2.97 | 3.09 | 2.36 | 2.81 |
%Ni | 12.85–15.15 | 14.83 | 14.94 | 14.63 | 14.8 |
Material Properties | 316L Stainless Steel |
---|---|
Elastic Modulus (GPa) | 200 |
Shear Modulus (GPa) | 82 |
Poisson’s Ratio | 0.265 |
Mass Density (g/m3) | 8.027 |
Tensile Strength (N/mm2) | 860 |
Yield Strength (N/mm2) | 690 |
Axial Force (N) | Coefficient of Friction | Design A | Design B | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Non-Locking Screws Displacement (mm) | |||||||||||
0.05 | 0.10 | 0.15 | 0.20 | 0.25 | 0.05 | 0.10 | 0.15 | 0.20 | 0.25 | ||
500 | 0.10 | 219.81 | 221.90 | 224.19 | 226.72 | 229.49 | 220.86 | 222.95 | 225.24 | 227.76 | 230.54 |
0.20 | 210.54 | 211.70 | 212.97 | 214.38 | 215.92 | 211.59 | 212.75 | 214.02 | 215.42 | 216.97 | |
0.30 | 205.39 | 206.03 | 206.74 | 207.52 | 208.38 | 206.44 | 207.08 | 207.79 | 208.57 | 209.43 | |
0.40 | 202.53 | 202.88 | 203.28 | 203.71 | 204.19 | 203.58 | 203.93 | 204.33 | 204.76 | 205.24 | |
0.50 | 200.93 | 201.13 | 201.35 | 201.59 | 201.86 | 201.99 | 202.19 | 202.40 | 202.64 | 202.91 | |
750 | 0.10 | 330.26 | 333.39 | 336.83 | 340.62 | 344.78 | 331.29 | 334.42 | 337.86 | 341.65 | 345.81 |
0.20 | 316.35 | 318.09 | 320.00 | 322.10 | 324.42 | 317.38 | 319.12 | 321.03 | 323.14 | 325.45 | |
0.30 | 308.62 | 309.59 | 310.65 | 311.82 | 313.11 | 309.66 | 310.62 | 311.69 | 312.85 | 314.14 | |
0.40 | 304.33 | 304.87 | 305.46 | 306.11 | 306.82 | 305.37 | 305.90 | 306.49 | 307.14 | 307.85 | |
0.50 | 301.95 | 302.24 | 302.57 | 302.93 | 303.33 | 302.98 | 303.28 | 303.61 | 303.97 | 304.36 | |
1000 | 0.10 | 440.70 | 444.87 | 449.46 | 454.50 | 460.06 | 441.72 | 445.89 | 450.48 | 455.53 | 461.08 |
0.20 | 422.15 | 424.47 | 427.02 | 429.82 | 432.91 | 423.18 | 425.49 | 428.04 | 430.85 | 433.93 | |
0.30 | 411.85 | 413.14 | 414.56 | 416.11 | 417.83 | 412.88 | 414.16 | 415.58 | 417.14 | 418.85 | |
0.40 | 406.13 | 406.84 | 407.63 | 408.50 | 409.45 | 407.15 | 407.87 | 408.66 | 409.52 | 410.47 | |
0.50 | 402.95 | 403.35 | 403.78 | 404.26 | 404.79 | 403.97 | 404.37 | 404.81 | 405.29 | 405.82 | |
1500 | 0.10 | 551.13 | 556.34 | 562.08 | 568.39 | 575.33 | 552.15 | 557.36 | 563.10 | 569.41 | 576.35 |
0.20 | 527.95 | 530.85 | 534.04 | 537.54 | 541.40 | 528.97 | 531.87 | 535.06 | 538.56 | 542.42 | |
0.30 | 515.08 | 516.68 | 518.46 | 520.40 | 522.55 | 516.10 | 517.70 | 519.48 | 521.42 | 523.56 | |
0.40 | 507.92 | 508.82 | 509.80 | 510.88 | 512.07 | 508.94 | 509.84 | 510.82 | 511.90 | 513.09 | |
0.50 | 503.95 | 504.44 | 504.99 | 505.59 | 506.25 | 504.97 | 505.46 | 506.01 | 506.61 | 507.27 | |
2000 | 0.10 | 661.56 | 667.82 | 674.70 | 682.28 | 690.61 | 662.58 | 668.84 | 675.72 | 683.29 | 691.62 |
0.20 | 633.75 | 637.23 | 641.05 | 645.26 | 649.88 | 634.77 | 638.24 | 642.07 | 646.27 | 650.90 | |
0.30 | 618.30 | 620.23 | 622.35 | 624.69 | 627.26 | 619.31 | 621.25 | 623.37 | 625.71 | 628.28 | |
0.40 | 609.71 | 610.79 | 611.97 | 613.27 | 614.69 | 610.73 | 611.80 | 612.98 | 614.28 | 615.71 | |
0.50 | 604.94 | 605.54 | 606.20 | 606.92 | 607.71 | 605.96 | 606.56 | 607.21 | 607.93 | 608.73 |
Description | Cortical Screws | Locking Screws | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Screw | CS1 | CS2 | CS3 | CS4 | A | B | C | D | E |
Maximum Stress (MPa) | 54.164 | 56.6316 | 62.926 | 59.627 | 31.138 | 26.4 | 32.25 | 28.04 | 31.9 |
Screw | Visual Examination | Fractographic Examination | Quantitative Examination | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cortical Screws | CS1 | Plastic deformation, failed into two pieces X-ray image shows it was failed after two years of insertion | Fatigue striations Microcracks A rubbed surface | The maximum von Mises stresses were near the head of the screw |
CS2 | No noticeable failure | N/A | The maximum von Mises stresses were near the head of the screw | |
CS3 | Plastic deformation, failed into two pieces X-ray image shows it was failed after five years of insertion | N/A | The maximum von Mises stresses s were near the middle of the screw | |
CS4 | Plastic deformation, failed into two pieces X-ray image shows it was failed after six years of insertion | Inclusion particles displaying ductile fracture Fatigue striations | The maximum von Mises stresses s were near the middle of the screw | |
Locking Screws | LA | Inserted slightly upward with 30° angle and parallel to the other screw. One screw failed and fractured into two pieces | N/A | The von Mises stresses distributed between 20–40% the screw length Higher than levels b and d |
LB | Inserted perpendicular to the plate and inward 30° angle. No noticeable failure | N/A | The von Mises stresses distributed near the head of the screw Lower than levels a, c, and e | |
LC | Inserted upward with a 40° angle and outward 30° angle. One screw failed and fractured into two pieces | Inclusions Fatigue striations | The von Mises stresses distributed between 20–40% the screw length Higher than levels b and d | |
LD | Inserted slightly upward with a10° angle. No noticeable failure | N/A | The von Mises stresses distributed near the head of the screw Lower than levels a, c, and e | |
LE | Inserted upward with a 30° angle and slightly outward. One screw failed and fractured into two pieces | Inclusions Fatigue striations | The von Mises stresses distributed between 20–40% the screw length Higher than levels b and d | |
Cannulated Screw | Plastic deformation, failed into two pieces X-ray image shows it was failed after six years of insertion | N/A | The stresses were higher in the shaft of the screw |
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Hamandi, F.; Laughlin, R.; Goswami, T. Failure Analysis of PHILOS Plate Construct Used for Pantalar Arthrodesis Paper II—Screws and FEM Simulations. Metals 2018, 8, 279. https://doi.org/10.3390/met8040279
Hamandi F, Laughlin R, Goswami T. Failure Analysis of PHILOS Plate Construct Used for Pantalar Arthrodesis Paper II—Screws and FEM Simulations. Metals. 2018; 8(4):279. https://doi.org/10.3390/met8040279
Chicago/Turabian StyleHamandi, Farah, Richard Laughlin, and Tarun Goswami. 2018. "Failure Analysis of PHILOS Plate Construct Used for Pantalar Arthrodesis Paper II—Screws and FEM Simulations" Metals 8, no. 4: 279. https://doi.org/10.3390/met8040279