Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Orthotropic CFR-PEEK and Ti-6Al-4V Osteosynthesis Plates Using a Multiscale Finite Element Modeling Approach
4 affiliations
- 1Institute of Energy and Mechanical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Satbayev University, Almaty 050000, Kazakhstan
- 2Institute of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering and Building Materials, Satbayev University, Almaty 050000, Kazakhstan
- 3School of Engineering and Information Technology, META University, Almaty 050012, Kazakhstan
- 4School of Transport Engineering and Logistics, Transport Engineering Direction, Satbayev University, Almaty 050000, Kazakhstan
Abstract
The application of carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK) composites in osteosynthesis implants represents a promising approach to mitigating the stress-shielding effect associated with the high stiffness of conventional metallic implants. This study aimed to experimentally and numerically evaluate the effects of short carbon fiber content and the orthotropic mechanical properties of CFR-PEEK on the structural strength of osteosynthesis plates and load distribution within the bone–plate system. The investigation employed a multiscale approach integrating micromechanical modeling using the Mori–Tanaka homogenization method in Digimat-MF, experimental mechanical testing of FDM-fabricated CFR-PEEK specimens containing 10 wt.% carbon fibers, and finite element analysis of osteosynthesis plates made of CFR-PEEK with 10 and 30 wt.% carbon fibers and Ti-6Al-4V using MSC Patran/Marc. CFR-PEEK 30% specimens were neither fabricated nor experimentally tested. Their mechanical properties were predicted using Digimat-MF by applying correction factors derived from experimental data obtained for CFR-PEEK 10%. The results demonstrated that increasing the carbon fiber content from 10 to 30 wt.% enhanced the longitudinal elastic modulus. Experimental testing of CFR-PEEK containing 10 wt.% carbon fibers revealed an elastic modulus ranging from 1.76 to 3.10 GPa and a tensile strength of 47–54 MPa. Following process-related adjustments to the material properties, finite element simulations of the bone–plate system were performed under an axial load of 50 N. The calculated load shielding indices were 94.3% for Ti-6Al-4V, 28.6% for CFR-PEEK 10%, and 54.3% for CFR-PEEK 30%, indicating the potential of composite implants to improve mechanical load transfer to the surrounding bone tissue. A preliminary strength assessment based on the three-dimensional Tsai–Hill failure criterion yielded failure indices of 15.577 and 1.112 for CFR-PEEK 10% and CFR-PEEK 30%, respectively, under the assumed material strength parameters. Critical stress concentrations were predominantly localized around the fixation holes. These findings highlight the trade-off between reducing stress shielding and ensuring the structural integrity of composite osteosynthesis plates. The results further emphasize the need for localized optimization of fixation regions to improve mechanical reliability without increasing the overall implant thickness.
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BibTeX
@article{isametova2026experimental,
title = {{Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Orthotropic CFR-PEEK and Ti-6Al-4V Osteosynthesis Plates Using a Multiscale Finite Element Modeling Approach}},
author = {Madina Isametova and Sholpan Kurmanova and Nurgul Seiitkazy and Yeszhan Ilyassov and Denis Tkachenko and Arailym Tursynbayeva},
journal = {Polymers},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/polym18212693},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/21/2693},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Orthotropic CFR-PEEK and Ti-6Al-4V Osteosynthesis Plates Using a Multiscale Finite Element Modeling Approach
AU - Madina Isametova
AU - Sholpan Kurmanova
AU - Nurgul Seiitkazy
AU - Yeszhan Ilyassov
AU - Denis Tkachenko
AU - Arailym Tursynbayeva
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Polymers
DO - 10.3390/polym18212693
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/21/2693
AB - The application of carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK) composites in osteosynthesis implants represents a promising approach to mitigating the stress-shielding effect associated with the high stiffness of conventional metallic implants. This study aimed to experimentally and numerically evaluate the effects of short carbon fiber content and the orthotropic mechanical properties of CFR-PEEK on the structural strength of osteosynthesis plates and load distribution within the bone–plate system. The investigation employed a multiscale approach integrating micromechanical modeling using the Mori–Tanaka homogenization method in Digimat-MF, experimental mechanical testing of FDM-fabricated CFR-PEEK specimens containing 10 wt.% carbon fibers, and finite element analysis of osteosynthesis plates made of CFR-PEEK with 10 and 30 wt.% carbon fibers and Ti-6Al-4V using MSC Patran/Marc. CFR-PEEK 30% specimens were neither fabricated nor experimentally tested. Their mechanical properties were predicted using Digimat-MF by applying correction factors derived from experimental data obtained for CFR-PEEK 10%. The results demonstrated that increasing the carbon fiber content from 10 to 30 wt.% enhanced the longitudinal elastic modulus. Experimental testing of CFR-PEEK containing 10 wt.% carbon fibers revealed an elastic modulus ranging from 1.76 to 3.10 GPa and a tensile strength of 47–54 MPa. Following process-related adjustments to the material properties, finite element simulations of the bone–plate system were performed under an axial load of 50 N. The calculated load shielding indices were 94.3% for Ti-6Al-4V, 28.6% for CFR-PEEK 10%, and 54.3% for CFR-PEEK 30%, indicating the potential of composite implants to improve mechanical load transfer to the surrounding bone tissue. A preliminary strength assessment based on the three-dimensional Tsai–Hill failure criterion yielded failure indices of 15.577 and 1.112 for CFR-PEEK 10% and CFR-PEEK 30%, respectively, under the assumed material strength parameters. Critical stress concentrations were predominantly localized around the fixation holes. These findings highlight the trade-off between reducing stress shielding and ensuring the structural integrity of composite osteosynthesis plates. The results further emphasize the need for localized optimization of fixation regions to improve mechanical reliability without increasing the overall implant thickness.
SN - 2073-4360
ER -