Our goal is to develop an internal fixation device with bi-phasic stiffness for
proximal humeral fractures.
Bone healing has come a long way since the medical field first began evolving. Currently treatments for proximal humeral fractures that require internal fixation have two schools of thought: Rigid Fixation and Biological Fixation. Rigid Fixation utilizes precise fragment placement to align bone fragments during the healing process; however this process can cause stress shielding which leads to loss of bone density. This can be a very severe risk for elderly patients. Biological Fixation on the other hand creates a healing environment similar to the normal physiological bone healing process; but the posibility for non-union is ever present. The goal of this device is to utilize Shape Memory Polymers (SMPs) to vary the stiffness of the fixation implant over the duration of the healing process to maximize the benefits of both rigid and biological fixation.