[Composite material information] Several applications of carbon fiber composites in orthopedic surgery

Nov 15, 2022

Carbon fiber composites have been widely used in various fields of medicine, except for common medical auxiliary equipment such as carbon fiber bed plates, head supports and webs used for X-ray, CT and B-ultrasound examinations. The application forms of carbon fiber composites in the medical field are more and more diversified. This paper only introduces the application of carbon fiber composites in orthopedic surgery.

Carbon fiber ankle foot orthosis
Carbon fiber ankle foot orthosis:
Ankle foot orthosis is usually used to adjust the instability of foot drooping ankle joint, relieve the pressure on the ankle joint, provide patients with a good sense of balance, and reduce the risk of tripping and falling. The use of orthosis can significantly improve the patient's posture control ability, increase the stability of posture and reduce the energy consumption. For patients, the flexibility of orthosis, comfort after wearing, and ankle support are the most important aspects. The materials of ankle foot orthosis involve thermoplastic, metal, leather and carbon fiber composites.
Recently, the materials of foot drop orthotics in the market are more and more light materials, and more and more orthotics begin to use light carbon fiber prepreg to make the main part. The clinical study found that the gait of the carbon fiber ankle foot orthosis is better than that of the polypropylene plastic ankle foot orthosis and the gait without the orthosis. Because the carbon fiber material has special performance advantages, it is lighter than the polypropylene plastic orthosis, has greater strength, and has the function of energy storage. The patients wear the carbon fiber ankle foot orthosis more labor-intensive than wearing the polypropylene plastic ankle foot orthosis, and has stronger practical value.

Carbon fiber orthopedic medical devices
Carbon fiber external fixator:
In the clinical application of orthopedics department, it is found that the metal connecting rod in the external fixator of bone can be replaced by the continuous carbon fiber reinforced polyolefin composite material rod with remarkable effect. After extensive use, this carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite connecting rod has no deformation, fracture and other phenomena, is firmly fixed without displacement, and the patient has no adverse contact reactions such as allergy. The most important thing is that the material is lighter, and the X-ray transmission performance is good, which is convenient for inspection.
However, from the perspective of biocompatibility and material performance, the external fixator made of continuous carbon fiber reinforced PEEK composite has better overall performance. The orthopedic surgical medical devices made of the self-developed continuous carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite prepreg are not only resistant to high temperature, low creep, high strength, light weight, fatigue resistance, corrosion resistance, and good X-ray transmission performance, but also the key is that Wuxi Zhishang New Material breaks the price barrier formed by imported raw materials from abroad, so that high-end thermoplastic carbon fiber composites can be widely used in various orthopedic surgical medical accessories.

Carbon fiber intraoperative fluoroscopy frame
Carbon fiber intraoperative fluoroscopy frame:
Through many years of clinical practice, some experts have designed a fluoroscopy frame for orthopedic surgery by using the good X-ray transmission performance of medical carbon fiber materials. The fluoroscopy frame can firmly support the affected limb of patients during a long period of surgery without affecting the multi angle fluoroscopy.
During intraoperative fluoroscopy, especially when irradiating the lateral and oblique images, put the affected limb on the fluoroscopy frame directly, and then adjust the C-arm machine direction to expose at will, so that the limb development can be observed truly and accurately from multiple angles and different directions. The error caused by X-ray exposure and micromotion of the affected limb caused by lifting and adjusting the affected limb with bare hands is avoided. The whole fluoroscopy frame is extremely portable and easy to operate. With its assistance, the patient's affected limb can be imaged more clearly.
Source: New material discovery
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