Optimal design of a functionally graded biodegradable composite bone plate by using the Taguchi method and finite element analysis

The current study aimed to investigate the influence of design factors of a functionally graded biodegradable composite bone plate on the healing of a tibia fracture. A finite element model of a human fractured tibia was constructed in ABAQUS 6.10, and the bone fragments were assembled with a bone plate and screws. Four design parameters of a composite bone plate were studied to investigate their influence on bone fracture healing. The Taguchi method with the design of experiments (DOE) was used for optimal design of the bone plate. Three levels of each design parameter were determined, and a standard orthogonal array L9 (34) was constructed to perform the simulations according to the table array. To optimize the design parameters of the bone plate and maximize the healing performance, signal-to-noise ratio was used, as a larger signal-to-noise ratio was better. The optimum levels of design parameters of the bone plate were selected, and the optimal design of a bone plate was suggested to maximize the healing performance. The optimal condition of design parameters was successfully determined by using the Taguchi method, and it was shown to maximize the healing of bone fractures.