Development and Preliminary Validation of a Universal Mini-Plate for Mandibular Angle Fractures via Finite Element Analysis and Prototype Fabrication

Mandibular angle fractures pose a significant clinical challenge in maxillofacial surgery, and conventional fixation systems often show merely adequate biomechanical performance. This study presents a new mini-plate geometric configuration and outlines its rigorous verification and a preliminary validation procedure. The proposed ‘U’-shaped grade 4 titanium mini-plate with self-tapping screws was developed specifically for the stable fixation of mandibular angle fractures. A three-dimensional mandible model incorporating an angular fracture gap exceeding 1 mm was constructed and analyzed using SolidWorks. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was employed as a verification tool to evaluate stress, strain, and displacement distributions in the mandibular ramus, plate, and screws under bilateral masticatory muscle loading, with material integrity assessed against yield-strength thresholds using von Mises’ stress theory. Rapid and functional prototypes were subsequently fabricated to physically validate the proposed mini-plate. The maximum stress across the entire model was 446.8 MPa, localized at the middle lower screw, while the maximum stress at the designed plate was 110 MPa, which remains well within the safe limits and is approximately 60.7% lower than the reported maximum stress values for conventional fixation systems. The new mini-plate exhibited robust biomechanical performance, offering a more favorable mechanical environment conducive to bone healing.