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Open reduction internal fixation of rib fractures: a biomechanical comparison between the RibLoc U Plus® system and anterior plate in rib implants

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European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

In this study, we assessed the bending strength of two surgical repairs of rib fracture using RibLoc® U Plus system made by Acute Innovations and the anterior plate by Synthes.

Methods

After a rib fracture was created in seven pairs of cadaveric rib specimens, one side was repaired with the anterior plate and the other side repaired with the RibLoc U Plus® plate. Each of the rib is loaded using a custom device over 360,000 bending cycles to simulate in vivo fatiguing related to respiration. Upon completion of the cyclic loading, the specimens were compressively loaded to failure and the failure bending moment was determined.

Results

The ribs repaired with the RibLoc U Plus® system showed 79% higher failure bending moment than that of the anterior plate, with a p value of 0.033. The ribs repaired with RibLoc U Plus® showed a trend of less stiffness reduction over the 360,000 loading cycles.

Conclusion

The biomechanical study showed that the RibLoc U Plus® system is stronger in the bending moment loading of repaired ribs, possibly due to the U-shape structure supporting both the inner and outer cortices of a repaired rib.

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Funding

National Institute of Health, ACUTE innovations.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, 3102 A. James Clark Hall, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Giovanni Oppizzi & Li-Qun Zhang

  2. Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, 100 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Giovanni Oppizzi, Dali Xu & Li-Qun Zhang

  3. Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, 555 31st Street, Downers Grove, IL, 60515, USA

    Tirth Patel

  4. Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, 22 S Greene Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Jose J. Diaz

  5. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, 660 W. Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Li-Qun Zhang

  6. Department of Orthopedics, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, 110 S. Paca Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Jose J. Diaz & Li-Qun Zhang

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  1. Giovanni Oppizzi
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Correspondence to Li-Qun Zhang.

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Conflict of interest

Giovanni Oppizzi, Dali Xu, Tirth Patel, Jose Diaz and Li-Qun Zhang declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Disclosure

The study was support in part by Acumed and the National Institutes of Health.

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Oppizzi, G., Xu, D., Patel, T. et al. Open reduction internal fixation of rib fractures: a biomechanical comparison between the RibLoc U Plus® system and anterior plate in rib implants. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 49, 383–391 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-022-02075-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-022-02075-x

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