A comparative study of the numerical analysis of the performance of a new plate design for canine TPO procedures

The aim of this study was to compare the biomechanical performance of a conventional 7-hole pelvic osteotomy plate and a newly developed elongated 8-hole pelvic osteotomy plate using finite element analysis experimentally validated by digital image correlation. Finite element models of the pelvis–implant construct were developed for both plate designs. The pelvic geometry was reconstructed from computed tomography images of a large-breed dog, and the models were analysed in a triple pelvic osteotomy configuration. Loading conditions were simplified to quasi-static forces corresponding to canine gait. Physical 3D-printed pelvis–implant models were additionally tested using digital image correlation to validate the numerical displacement results in corresponding anatomical regions. The numerical simulations enabled evaluation of the distributions of displacement, stress, and strain within the implant and the pelvic bone. The numerical analysis showed that the novel elongated plate design resulted in lower total displacement and a more homogeneous strain distribution in the ilium than the conventional 7-hole plate. The maximum displacement was 2.50 mm for the 7-hole construct and 1.84 mm for the 8-hole construct. In the acetabular loading region, the finite element displacement values were 1.37 mm and 1.01 mm, respectively, while the corresponding digital image correlation values were 1.36 mm and 0.89 mm. Although higher stress values were observed within the 8-hole plate, the calculated implant stresses remained below the yield strength of Ti-6Al-4 V ELI titanium alloy. In this experimentally validated finite element model of a triple pelvic osteotomy configuration, the elongated 8-hole plate demonstrated lower displacement and a more favourable strain distribution than the conventional 7-hole plate. These findings suggest a potential mechanical advantage of the longer plate design under simplified quasi-static loading conditions. Further cadaveric, cyclic fatigue, and clinical studies are required to determine whether these biomechanical differences translate into improved clinical outcomes.