Affiliations: School of Technology and Health, Division of Neuronic Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden | Department of Lightweight Structures, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden | Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
Abstract: Purpose: The aim is to investigate fixation of cervical vertebral fractures by patching it with a composite laminate of adhesive and fibres, in comparison with use of only adhesives. Material and methods: The composite fixation was tested on bonded roe deer vertebrae. 25 specimens were sawed in two halves, creating a generic fracture, and thereafter bonded. The adhesives used were a dental system, Scotchbond XT, and a cyanoacrylate, M-bond 200. The fibres used were unidirectional carbon fibres and randomly distributed E-glass fibres. The composites were applied as a 7 mm wide patch circumferential along the induced fracture. Reference specimens for comparison were also made. The ultimate tensile strength was tested in an Instron 5567. The failure site was examined with a microscope. Strain vectors were tracked using Digital Speckle Analysis. Results: Scotchbond XT + E-glass fibres gave best results, with a tensile strength of 3.5 N/mm circumferential length (24.3% of reference). All composites had lower stiffness than cortical bone. The dental adhesive fibre composites gave better results than the cyanoacrylate fibre composites. In all cases fibre reinforced adhesive composite gave better results than adhesive without fibre reinforcement. Conclusion: Fibre-adhesive composite is a promising technique for fixating cervical vertebral fractures.
