Influence of Embedded Crack on the Mechanical Failure of Ti–6Al–4V Locking Compression Plates Using Finite Element Analysis

The structural failure of medical implants commonly happens due to the intense and dynamic stress profile generated by daily activities. To ensure long-term service life, an implant should demonstrate high fracture resistance under varying forces. This study investigates the behavior of a stationary crack embedded on the circumference of a Ti–6Al–4V made locking compression plates (LCP), under tension and bending loadings. The criteria for crack simulations and fracture propagations were reviewed, and the fracture modeling was performed using the contour integral approach available in Abaqus CAE software. Parameters, namely crack orientation and loading types, were selected to study their individual effects on stress intensity factors and for comprehensive fracture simulation purposes. The importance of mesh refinement at the tip of the crack was discussed. The simulation results revealed increased crack severity under bending loads, followed by tensile loads. As a noteworthy observation, the LCP implants should be designed and developed for future applications by accounting for the effect of bending stresses.