Biomechanical evaluation of spiral fracture in human metacarpal using chicken humerus model.

Introduction: Animal bones have been used as a model to mimic human bones for investigation of fracture patterns and fixation techniques. This study aims to investigate the effects of torsional forces of varying speeds on the spiral fracture in human metacarpal using a chicken humerus model.

Materials and methods: Thirty fresh-frozen chicken humerus bones were dissected and equally divided into three groups. The bones were mounted onto a customized jig and subjected to different torsional loading rate at 22.5°/s, 30°/s and 45°/s, respectively. The fracture pattern, angle and length were analysed.

Results: Our results concurred with other studies that used mature animal long bones which showed no correlation between spiral fracture morphology and torsional rate. We also noticed differences between mature and immature long bones at various torsional speeds.

Conclusion: The chicken humerus model demonstrated a promising alternative to investigate the effect of bone material properties on the spiral fracture pattern. The intent of this study was to expand it as a suitable bone model for resident teaching and research purpose.