Diaphyseal femoral fracture: 3D biomodel and intramedullary nail created by additive manufacturing

The aim of the present work was to explore the feasibility of different additive manufacturing techniques applied in design, diagnosis and planning of a locked intramedullary nail used in the diaphyseal femoral fractures. Using a clinical case study of a femoral diaphysis fracture, a biomodel was developed to simulate the osseointegration bone-implant. The biomechanical analysis was performed using the finite element method and different additive manufacturing techniques were applied, particularly the full colour printing to obtain the colour levels related to von Mises stresses. The biomodel and all applied prototyping techniques have proved to be important, since they allow fast reconstruction of layered prototyping models from point cloud data with a shape errors control. In surgical procedures these models can provide practice simulators, procedure guides and models against which to measure progress by helping health professionals on an accurate and safe surgical planning.