Mechanical analysis of bone fracture treatment with hydrogel adhesives

As a new kind of material with outstanding biocompatibility and tunable mechanical properties, hydrogel can serve in significant applications, such as biological tissue repair, biomedical implantation, and so on. However, the lack of the mechanical analysis of bone fracture treatment with hydrogel adhesives hinders the development of clinical applications. In this paper, a three dimensional bonded butt model is established to predict the mechanical behavior of treated bones by using a bilinear cohesive zone model. The force-displacement curve, ultimate load, and consumed energy, as well as damage evolution affected by various geometric and material factors are analyzed. It is found that designing hydrogel adhesives of suitable thickness and weight ratio is helpful for improving the strength of bonded structures. The strength of boned structures decreases due to Mullins effect of the hydrogel adhesive. The results should be helpful for predicting mechanical behavior of bonded bone with hydrogel adhesives, and inspiring more works on the applications in clinical practice.