Volume 10, Issue 1, 2001

Development of Braided Carbon/Peek Composite Bone Plates

K.Fujihara, Zheng-Ming Huang, S.Ramakrishna, *K.Satkunanantham & **H.Hamada

Polymer & Textile Composites Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering

* Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117576

**Division of Advanced Fibro Science, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan

(Received 9/00; accepted 1/01)

ABSTRACT

In this study, a novel fabrication method using braiding technique was applied to fabricate carbon/PEEK composite bone plates. Four-point bending tests of the composite plates were carried out to compare with the conventional stainless-steel bone plate. The braided composite bone plates with considered braiding angles displayed a maximum bending moment in the range of 38.2 ~ 44.0 % and bending stiffness in the range of 26.6 ~ 30.2 % of those of a stainless-steel plate. The bending properties of braided composite plates are comparable with those of the polymer composite bone plates reported in the literature. The potential of braided carbon/PEEK composite material for bone fracture fixation applications is indicated.