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Home / Equine Research Bank / BMC Vet Res / Numerical evaluation of internal femur osteosynthesis based ...
BMC veterinary research2024; 20(1); 188; doi: 10.1186/s12917-024-04044-5

Numerical evaluation of internal femur osteosynthesis based on a biomechanical model of the loading in the proximal equine hindlimb.

Abstract: Femoral fractures are often considered lethal for adult horses because femur osteosynthesis is still a surgical challenge. For equine femur osteosynthesis, primary stability is essential, but the detailed physiological forces occurring in the hindlimb are largely unknown. The objective of this study was to create a numerical testing environment to evaluate equine femur osteosynthesis based on physiological conditions. The study was designed as a finite element analysis (FEA) of the femur using a musculoskeletal model of the loading situation in stance. Relevant forces were determined in the musculoskeletal model via optimization. The treatment of four different fracture types with an intramedullary nail was investigated in FEA with loading conditions derived from the model. The analyzed diaphyseal fracture types were a transverse (TR) fracture, two oblique fractures in different orientations (OB-ML: medial-lateral and OB-AP: anterior-posterior) and a "gap" fracture (GAP) without contact between the fragments. For the native femur, the most relevant areas of increased stress were located distally to the femoral head and proximally to the caudal side of the condyles. For all fracture types, the highest stresses in the implant material were present in the fracture-adjacent screws. Maximum compressive (-348 MPa) and tensile stress (197 MPa) were found for the GAP fracture, but material strength was not exceeded. The mathematical model was able to predict a load distribution in the femur of the standing horse and was used to assess the performance of internal fixation devices via FEA. The analyzed intramedullary nail and screws showed sufficient stability for all fracture types.
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Publication Date: 2024-05-10 PubMed ID: 38730373PubMed Central: PMC11084081DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-04044-5Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research creates a biomechanical model to evaluate surgical techniques for treating fractures in the femurs of horses, which are notoriously difficult and can often be lethal. The study tests four different types of fractures and uses a mathematical tool called finite element analysis to predict stress distribution and the performance of internal fixation devices used in the surgery.

Objective and Methodology of the Research

  • The primary objective of the research was to develop a numerical testing environment that could assess equine femur osteosynthesis under physiological conditions.
  • The researchers utilized finite element analysis (FEA), which is a numerical method used for solving problems of engineering and mathematical physics, in this case, to analyze and predict the load distribution and stress in the femur of horses.
  • The study examined the treatment of four different types of fractures – transverse (TR), two oblique fractures with different orientations (medial-lateral (OB-ML) and anterior-posterior (OB-AP)) and a “gap” fracture where there was no contact between the fragments.

Results and Observations

  • In a native (unfractured) femur, the areas of increased stress were found distally to the femoral head and proximally to the caudal side of the condyles.
  • In all fracture types, the highest stresses were observed in the screws adjacent to the fracture.
  • Extreme compressive and tensile stresses were found for the gap fracture type, however, the material strength was not exceeded.
  • The biomechanical model effectively predicted different loading scenarios and provided valuable insights into the physiological forces occurring in the hindlimb of the horse.

Conclusion and Significance of the Research

  • The study demonstrates that the biomechanical mathematical model can effectively gauge the performance of internal fixation devices used in femur osteosynthesis. The results confirmed that the intramedullary nail and screws showed sufficient stability for all fracture types explored in the study.
  • Development and implementation of such models may significantly advance equine surgical practices, leading to improved recovery rates and prognosis for horses undergoing femoral osteosynthesis.
  • Further, this study not only has potential benefits for veterinary medicine but could also be translated into improvement in treatment protocols for similar orthopaedic conditions in humans.

Cite This Article

APA
Lang JJ, Li X, Micheler CM, Wilhelm NJ, Seidl F, Schwaiger BJ, Barnewitz D, von Eisenhart-Rothe R, Grosse CU, Burgkart R. (2024). Numerical evaluation of internal femur osteosynthesis based on a biomechanical model of the loading in the proximal equine hindlimb. BMC Vet Res, 20(1), 188. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-024-04044-5

Publication

BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
NlmUniqueID: 101249759
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 20
Issue: 1
Pages: 188
PII: 188

Researcher Affiliations

Lang, Jan J
  • Department of Orthopedics and Sports Orthopedics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany. jan.lang@tum.de.
  • Chair of Non-destructive Testing, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany. jan.lang@tum.de.
Li, Xinhao
  • Department of Orthopedics and Sports Orthopedics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Micheler, Carina M
  • Department of Orthopedics and Sports Orthopedics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
  • Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Wilhelm, Nikolas J
  • Department of Orthopedics and Sports Orthopedics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
  • Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Seidl, Fritz
  • Department of Orthopedics and Sports Orthopedics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Schwaiger, Benedikt J
  • Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Barnewitz, Dirk
  • Equine Clinic of the Research Centre for Medical Technology and Biotechnology, Bad Langensalza, Germany.
von Eisenhart-Rothe, Ruediger
  • Department of Orthopedics and Sports Orthopedics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Grosse, Christian U
  • Chair of Non-destructive Testing, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Burgkart, Rainer
  • Department of Orthopedics and Sports Orthopedics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses / physiology
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Femoral Fractures / veterinary
  • Femoral Fractures / surgery
  • Fracture Fixation, Internal / veterinary
  • Fracture Fixation, Internal / methods
  • Hindlimb / surgery
  • Finite Element Analysis
  • Femur / surgery
  • Models, Biological
  • Weight-Bearing
  • Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / veterinary
  • Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / instrumentation

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

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