Effect of orthopedic implants on long bone properties : a combined experimental and numerical approach

Long bone fracture constitutes a common reason for medical consultation within veterinary orthopedic services (Miller et al. 1998; Kumar et al. 2007). Canine bone fracture repair differs from the human case in the sense that (1) the physiological characteristics and morphology of the injured bones in animals vary considerably (Palierne et al. 2006), (2) the animal is not able to limit its activity during the post-operative period, leading to premature overloading, and (3) the surgeon is confronted to cost limitations concerning orthopedic material. There is a lack of studies assessing the effect of different treatment types on the biomechanical properties of a reconstructed bone, which may partly explain the frequent associated complications in the field of canine fracture repair (Dvořák et al. 2000; Jackson & Pacchiana 2004). In this work, we evaluate the effect of such orthopedic reconstructions on the behavior of canine humeri in compression, using a combined experimental and numerical approach.