Engineering femoral bone repair: analysis of cracks and bone loss cavities with optimized scaffold design

The study aims to provide structural insights into stress distribution patterns, structural integrity, and the efficacy of intervention techniques, offering implications for orthopaedic practices. Under a simulated body weight of 750 N, the intact femur exhibits optimal structural integrity with uniform stress distribution (27.96 MPa), highlighting inherent strength and stability. In contrast, the presence of a 2 mm crack significantly alters stress distribution, creating localised areas of elevated stress (146.3 MPa). The crack-fixed femur analysis demonstrates successful stress reduction around the crack site. Through optimisation of scaffold morphologies, a scaffold with strut diameter of 500 μm and pore size of 450 μm was selected for insertion into the bone cavity along with a fixation structure. The maximum stress concentrations at bone are consistently below 80 MPa. This design ensures the effective distribution of physiological forces on the bone. Comparatively, the healthy femur serves as a baseline for optimal stress distribution, while the cracked femur underscores the adverse impact of fractures, necessitating early detection and interventions. The findings contribute to the ongoing development of orthopaedic practices, emphasising stability, healing, and improved patient outcomes.