Generative design of patient-specific bone plates for Schatzker type VI tibial plateau fractures

Abstract

Schatzker type VI fractures are complex tibial plateau injuries characterized by multiple fracture lines and complete separation between the plateau and the shaft. These features reduce the effectiveness of standard commercial fixation plates, which often fail to conform to the irregular anatomy. Patient-specific plates, tailored to individual bone geometry, offer improved anatomical fit and fixation. This study aims to compare two patient-specific designs, based on 3D reconstruction (3DP) and generative design (GDP), with a conventional commercial plate (CP). To enable rapid and costeffective evaluation, all designs were first prototyped in poly(lactic acid) using fused deposition modeling. In bending tests, both 3DP and GDP were significantly stiffer than CP, with stiffness increases of 23.8% and 10.0%, respectively. In biomechanical compression tests, both patient-specific designs exhibited approximately 15% lower displacement than CP under a 750 N load. Based on these results, the GDP design was selected for metal additive manufacturing using laser powder bed fusion. The metal printed GDP was tested under a compressive load of 750 N and showed a mean displacement of 2.11 ± 0.01 mm, remaining below the commonly accepted clinical threshold of 3 mm. This work highlights the potential of combining PLA-based prototyping with targeted metal validation to support surgical decision-making and streamline implant development.

Keywords

3D printing / Generative design / Patient-specific bone plate / Schatzker type VI fractures

Funding

This work was supported by the China Scholarship Council (Project No. 202208060391) and by the United Kingdom Research and Innovation Oversea Travel Grant (UKRI2858).

Conflict of Interest

Paulo Bartolo and Fengyuan Liu are members of the Editorial Board of this journal but were not involved, directly or indirectly, in the editorial or peer-review process for this article. The other authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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