Page 395 - IJB-10-4

International

Journal of Bioprinting

RESEARCH ARTICLE
A metamaterial bone plate for biofixation based

on 3D printing technology

Guoqing Zhang *, Junxin Li , Congcong Shangguan , Xiaoyu Zhou , Yongsheng
1
1
1
2
Zhou , and Aibing Huang 3
1
1 Department of Mechanical Design and Manufacturing, School of Mechanical and Electrical
Engineering, Zhoukou Normal University, Zhoukou, Henan , China
2 Veterinary Laboratory, Shangzhou District Animal Health Supervision Institute, Shangluo, Shaanxi,
China
3
Department of Orthopedics, Taizhou People’s Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University,
Taizhou, Jiangsu, China

Abstract

Bone plate design and production methods are critical for producing metamaterial
bone plates. This study investigated the design and development process of porous
structures and metamaterial bone plates for biofixation applications. We designed
the porous structures for bone plates using parametric modeling and fused them
via the implicit surface fusion method. Likewise, we designed the metamaterial
bone plate structure using reverse reconstruction and topological optimization.
Thereafter, we utilized three-dimensional (3D) printing for producing and post-
processing the metamaterial bone plate. We observed a reduced stress-shielding
effect after topological optimization. Additionally, the resultant diamond porous
structure maintained a high porosity under pressure. The 3D-printed bone plates and
*Corresponding author: fillers had a bright porous surface, with clear pore structures and good connectivity.
Guoqing Zhang The assembly of the 3D-printed femur, bone plate, filler, and standardized screw
(zhangguoqing1202@sohu.com)
indicated a good fitting, and the filler could be fixed by the inclined surface. Taken
Citation: Zhang G, Li J, together, the findings of this study established the foundation for the prospective
Shangguan C, Zhou X, Zhou Y,
Huang A. A metamaterial bone application of metamaterial bone plates in biofixation.
plate for biofixation based on
3D printing technology.
Int J Bioprint. 2024;10(4):2388. Keywords: 3D printing; Bone plate; Topological optimization; Porous structure;
doi: 10.36922/ijb.2388 Forming quality
Received: December 8, 2023
Accepted: March 6, 2024
Published Online: April 30, 2024
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s). 1. Introduction
This is an Open Access article
distributed under the terms of the According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of patients with bone
Creative Commons Attribution and joint diseases worldwide has exceeded 400 million. In Asia, one in six individuals
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, will suffer from bone diseases at a certain age. Bone diseases affect an individual’s
1
provided the original work is physical and mental health and can be fatal in some cases. With the advancement in
properly cited. bone repair and replacement surgeries, internal fixation with bone plates is used to repair
Publisher’s Note: AccScience human bone injuries, diseases, and congenital deformities to reduce pain, restore bone
Publishing remains neutral with function, and improve the quality of life. Bone plates are generally mass-produced and
2,3
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional are manually shaped based on the patient’s condition prior to implantation. However,
affiliations. post-implantation failures often occur due to poor compatibility and durability (i.e.,

Volume 10 Issue 4 (2024) 387 doi: 10.36922/ijb.2388