Finite Element Analysis of Bone-Derived Hydroxyapatite, Zinc-Doped Hydroxyapatite, and PLGA–Zn-HAp Composites for Biomedical Applications

M Saravanan; Abhijith J; Sangeetha Krishnamoorthi; Athira Kishore; Saravana Kumar.M

doi:10.5935/jetia.v12i60.3354

Autores/as

M Saravanan Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology, Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation (DU), Tamil Nadu, India.
Abhijith J Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology, Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation (DU), Tamil Nadu, India.
Sangeetha Krishnamoorthi Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology, Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation (DU), Tamil Nadu, India.
Athira Kishore M.D. Scholar - Department of Practice of Medicine, National Homoeopathy Research Institute in Mental Health – NHRIMH, Kottayam, Kerala 686532
Saravana Kumar.M Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology, Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation (DU), Tamil Nadu, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5935/jetia.v12i60.3354

Resumen

Bone-derived hydroxyapatite (HAp) is highly biocompatible but lacks mechanical strength. This study addresses this limitation by adding zinc (Zn) and poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) to enhance performance. We synthesised goat-bone HAp via calcination and chemical treatment, incorporated Zn to improve crystallinity and antibacterial activity, and reinforced it with PLGA for better flexibility and load-bearing capacity. Finite element modelling in ANSYS (100–1000 N loading) showed that pure HAp is stiff but brittle, Zn-HAp is stronger, and the PLGA-Zn-HAp composite has the greatest toughness, stress distribution, and fracture resistance. Simulations closely matched experiments, confirming that Zn and PLGA strengthen natural HAp and make the composite a promising, cost-effective choice for orthopaedic implants.