Mechanical properties of Indonesian-made narrow dynamic compression plate

Osteosynthesis plates are clinically used to fixate and position a fractured bone. They should have the ability to withstand cyclic loads produced by muscle contractions and total body weight. The very high demand for osteosynthesis plates in developing countries in general and in Indonesia in particular necessitates the utilisation of local products. In this paper, we investigated the mechanical properties, i.e. proportional limit and fatigue strength of Indonesian-made Narrow Dynamic Compression Plates (Narrow DCP) as one of the most frequently used osteosynthesis plates, in comparison to the European AO standard plate, and its relationship to geometry, micro structural features and surface defects of the plates. All Indonesian-made plates appeared to be weaker than the standard Narrow DCP because they consistently failed at lower stresses. Surface defects did not play a major role in this, although the polishing of the Indonesian Narrow DCP was found to be poor. The standard plate showed indications of cold deformation from the production process in contrast to the Indonesian plates, which might be the first reason for the differences in strength. This is confirmed by hardness measurements. A second reason could be the use of an inferior version of stainless steel. The Indonesian plates showed lower mechanical behaviour compared to the AO-plates. These findings could initiate the development of improved Indonesian manufactured DCP-plates with properties comparable to commonly used plates, such as the standard European AO-plates.