An Investigation into the Load Transfer in Interlocking Intramedullary Nails during Simulated Healing of a Femoral Fracture

Abstract

Interlocked intramedullary nailing is widely used for the fixation of fractures in long bones. This study investigated the biomechanical aspects of load sharing between the implant and bone for two different types of nails—a fully slotted AO/ASIF nail and a non-slotted Russell-Taylor nail—in a simulated bone healing model using composite model femora. The results demonstrated the different load-sharing characteristics of the two nail types in torsion but similar behaviour in bending. The techniques applied provided a useful basis on which to evaluate these types of implants.