Comparing maximal forces in resorbable poly-L-lactic acid and titanium plates for mandibular fracture fixation

Brady Burns; Joseph-Michael Fields; Angel Farinas; Alonda Pollins; Galen Perdikis; Wesley Thayer

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03705

Comparing maximal forces in resorbable poly-L-lactic acid and titanium plates for mandibular fracture fixation

Heliyon. 2020 Apr 3;6(4):e03705. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03705. eCollection 2020 Apr.

Authors

Brady Burns^{1

2}, Joseph-Michael Fields¹, Angel Farinas², Alonda Pollins², Galen Perdikis², Wesley Thayer^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, USA.
² Department of Plastic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
³ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.

Abstract

Treatment for mandibular fractures is commonly performed via open reduction fixation with mini titanium or resorbable plates and screws. The investigators hypothesized differences in maximum mechanical stress forces and deflection with each plating material; however, it was proposed that the experimental forces withstood by the resorbable system would be enough to withstand normal forces produced during mastication. The sample was composed of fresh cadaver mandibles that were harvested, fractured, and fixated with plates and screws. The predictor variable was fracture fixation and included a titanium plating or resorbable poly-L-lactide plating system. The primary outcome measure was maximum load withstood before plating failure measured in Newtons (N). Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed, P value was set at .05. The sample was composed of six mandibles with and grouped by type of fixation modality, Titanium (T) (n = 3) and Resorbable (n = 3). There was a statistically significant correlation between the T group and increased maximum load (N) before failure as compared to the R group, (P = 0.023). The results suggest that fracture fixation with titanium plates and screws can withstand greater maximum forces before failure; however, the resorbable plating system withstood forces similar to/or greater than the maximum forces produced during normal mastication.

Keywords: Biomedical engineering; Dentistry; Fixation; Fracture; Mandible; Materials science; Poly-l-lactic acid; Resorbable plates; Surgey; Titanium plates.