Recent advances in technology have allowed for expansion in the inclusion of
patient-specific medical solutions for injuries and diseases. Specifically, this paper aims to
explore the possibilities for improving the patient experience with regard to creating more highly functional rib fracture implants. Using additive manufacturing, topologically optimized lattice structures can be printed specific to a patient’s autonomy, allowing for reduction of typical implant-induced complications, specifically stress shielding due to uneven loading on the rib and neighboring implant.
In this paper, the effect on the strength and flexibility of rib fracture coupons based on
variance in x-direction unit cell length and strut thickness and their resulting effect on porosity is explored. Five lattices were tested with differing properties. The results found indicated that increased porosity can improve mechanical properties of implants and better reflect the mechanical properties of a native human bones. The findings of the study were then compared with other similar studies and similarities and differences are analyzed. The studies found that the results of the experiment were verified based on similar load testing. As research on this topic evolves, more understanding of how the mechanical properties of lattices change based on varying geometries is evaluated.