Challenges in Femur Fracture Repairs

Fractures of the femur, the long bone in the upper leg, are a widespread injury in humans and are prevalent among elderly individuals. The broken edges cause stress to concentrate at the crack tip, increasing the chances that the fracture will lengthen. Conventional methods of repairing a fractured femur typically involve surgical procedures to attach a metal plate around the fracture with screws, which may cause loosening, chronic pain, and further injury.

Graduate student Yingqi Jia, left, and professor Shelly Zhang used machine learning and 3D printing to fabricate a new bio-inspired material that may improve conventional methods for healing broken bones. Credit: Fred Zwicky

Innovative Approaches in Orthopedic Repair

The research was led by Shelly Zhang, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, along with graduate student Yingqi Jia and Professor Ke Liu from Peking University. Their work, published in Natural materials like bone, bird feathers, and wood have an intelligent approach to physical stress distribution, despite their irregular architectures. A new study that integrates machine learning, 3D printing, and stress experiments allowed engineers to gain insight into these natural wonders by developing a material that replicates the functionalities of human bone for orthopedic femur restoration.