{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,16]],"date-time":"2026-03-16T18:30:15Z","timestamp":1773685815735,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":20,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,30]],"date-time":"2025-10-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1761782400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Variable-angle locking systems offer increased surgical flexibility by permitting off-axis screw insertion, with some designs allowing angulation up to 15\u00b0. However, clinical challenges such as screw loosening and insufficient mechanical stability data persist. This study aims to evaluate the impact of different plate hole design parameters on the locking strength of plate-screw head interface under various screw insertion angles, providing insights to optimize VALS performance in fracture fixation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Variable-angle locking system with Point-Loading Thread-In mechanism was designed for investigation. Variations in locking hole design were evaluated based on slot size (1.3\u00a0mm vs. 1.5\u00a0mm), number of thread columns (three vs. four), and cone angle (20\u00b0 vs. 22\u00b0). A total of eight distinct design groups were included for analysis. The screws, inserted at different inclinations (0\u00b0\u201315\u00b0), and locked at 0.8\u00a0Nm were subjected to a cantilever load-to-failure test. Ultimate bending moment at the screw-head interface and failure mode of the locking mechanism were determined.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The results exhibited a decrease in bending strength with increasing screw angulation in both three- and four-thread designs, with all groups exceeding 1\u00a0Nm at 0\u00b0 but falling below 1\u00a0Nm at 15\u00b0. The highest bending moment was 1.46\u00a0Nm in the three-thread-column design at 0\u00b0, compared with 1.32\u00a0Nm in the four-thread-column design. At 15\u00b0 screw angulation, the highest moments were 0.92\u00a0Nm and 0.90\u00a0Nm for the three-thread and four-thread designs, respectively. The plate hole with 1.3\u00a0mm slot, three thread column and 22\u00b0 cone design showed higher bending moment than all other designs at each insertion angles.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Plate hole design\u2014specifically slot size, thread number, and cone angle\u2014significantly influences locking strength. The optimal design (3 slots, 1.3\u00a0mm, 22\u00b0) offers superior mechanical stability, guiding device optimization.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fbioe.2025.1681460","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,30]],"date-time":"2025-10-30T06:23:13Z","timestamp":1761805393000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Mechanical optimization of plate-screw interfaces in variable-angle locking systems: a parametric study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Chen-Chiang","family":"Lin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shun-Ping","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kun-Jhih","family":"Lin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ming-Hsien","family":"Hu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1313","DOI":"10.25107\/2474-1647.1313","article-title":"Mechanical testing of two different variable angle locking systems for treatment of distal radius fractures","volume":"2","author":"Adler","year":"2017","journal-title":"Clin. 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