Clinical toolbox to quantify fracture fixation stability (FAST)

• Applicant: Professor Peter Augat, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Orthopaedics, Traumatology, Reconstructive Surgery
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 517046477

The successful healing of a broken bone requires the mechanical fixation of the fracture. For this purpose, bones are fixed with metallic implants, which stabilize the fracture. The mechanical stability of the fracture fixation determines the deformation within the fractured area of the bone (interfragmentary strain). The interfragmentary strain is known to be the most important predictor of the success or failure of the fracture healing process. So far, it is not possible to estimate the fracture stability of an individual patient in a clinical scenario. Thus, the primary aim of the FrActure Stability Toolbox (FAST) project is to test the hypothesis that the reliable determination of the stability of a fracture fixation construct can be obtained from routine clinical data. FAST will employ a combination of rigid body mechanics and Finite Element Analysis to calculate the strain in the gap of a long bone fracture. Individualized patient information will be incorporated by using anatomic, loading and implant registries together with intelligent imaging techniques to morph individual patient data with registry data. The unique feature of FAST is that the methodology for stability calculation will use standard radiographs and will not require 3D imaging such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. The outcomes of this research project will enable the comparison of the initial mechanical fracture fixation stability with the clinically observed fracture healing outcome. This will allow conducting future clinical studies on the effect of fracture fixation stability on healing outcome in trauma patients. Furthermore, FAST will empower orthopaedic surgeons to make educated decisions regarding the fracture fixation stability and thus provide improved fracture care for their patients.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants