{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T12:27:50Z","timestamp":1785414470835,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,5]],"date-time":"2026-04-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775347200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001831","name":"Delft University of Technology","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001831","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/02e2c7k09","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biomimetics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The sternum protects the intrathoracic organs and contributes to chest wall mechanics, which makes reconstruction after tumor resection, trauma, or infection a demanding biomechanical problem. This study presents an in silico workflow for preselecting materials for sternal implants before physical prototyping. After a virtual resection, an anatomically conformal implant was designed and candidate biomaterials were screened in CES Selector using density, elastic modulus, fatigue strength, fracture toughness, toxicity, medical grade suitability, and MRI safety. A representative subset of the screened candidates was then compared by finite element modeling in terms of stress transfer and deformation. Seventeen candidates met the screening criteria. Ti-13Nb-13Zr showed an elastic modulus of about 80 GPa, and the titanium-based candidates showed deformation values of about 0.96 to 1.03 mm, whereas GF PEEK reached about 1.74 mm. The stress shielding index also showed that titanium-based materials remained on the implant-dominant side, while polymer-based materials shifted stress transfer toward bone. Taken together, the findings suggest that Ti-13Nb-13Zr offers the best overall balance for load-bearing sternal reconstruction, whereas PEEK-based systems may be more suitable within the present model for hybrid or adjunct designs. The proposed workflow can support early implant planning and guide future experimental and clinical studies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/biomimetics11040251","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,6]],"date-time":"2026-04-06T02:06:21Z","timestamp":1775441181000},"page":"251","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Bioinspired Sternal Implant Design for Generic Anatomical Reconstruction: An In Silico Framework for Material Selection and Biomechanical Validation"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7727-4323","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"I\u015f\u0131l","family":"Kutbay","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Electronics and Automation, University of Health Sciences, Uskudar, 34668 Istanbul, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8610-2638","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zeynep","family":"Gerdan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Department of Digital Health Systems Technician, Bayburt University, 69000 Bayburt, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8255-5987","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Murat","family":"\u00c7olak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Department of Electronic Automation, Bayburt University, 69000 Bayburt, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4912-8828","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yasemin","family":"Tabak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"T\u00dcB\u0130TAK National Metrology Institute (UME), 41470 Gebze, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9371-8307","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abdullah Tahir","family":"\u015eensoy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands"},{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GE Rotterdam, The Netherlands"},{"name":"Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Samsun University, 55420 Samsun, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"552","DOI":"10.1016\/j.matdes.2012.10.001","article-title":"Materials selection in design of structures and engines of supersonic aircrafts: A review","volume":"46","author":"Huda","year":"2013","journal-title":"Mater. 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