Development of the novel implant for fracture treatment using a TiNbSn alloy with a low Young's modulus

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K16671
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Orthopaedic surgery
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Kamimura Masayuki 東北大学, 大学病院, 助教 (80758962)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 骨折治癒 / インプラント / 合金

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Titanium-niobium-tin (TiNbSn) alloy, which was developed by Tohoku University Institute for Material Research, has a low Young’s modulus close to that of human cortical bone. With the goal of developing the novel implant with TiNbSn alloy for fracture treatment, the effects of the elastic property of TiNbSn alloy implants on fracture healing were evaluated compared with conventional Ti-6Al-4V implants using a rabbit tibial osteotomy model.
TiNbSn alloy nails showed significantly larger callus volume in micro-CT images and higher maximum load in mechanical testing. Next, TiNbSn alloy plates were prepared and their effects on fracture healing were evaluated using the same experimental animal model in histologic, radiographic and mechanical analyses.

Free Research Field

整形外科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

骨折に対する手術治療の目的は、受傷者や社会に対する損失を最小限に抑えるために早期に適切な骨癒合を得ることであるが、一部の症例は癒合不全に陥り治療に難渋する。本研究ではTNS合金製の骨折治療インプラントを開発するにあたり、TNS合金のヒト皮質骨に近い低弾性という特性が骨折治癒の促進や骨癒合部の力学的促進の改善につながることが確認された。実際の骨折治療において成績改善に貢献するインプラントの開発が期待できる。