{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T02:01:49Z","timestamp":1792029709590,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]],"date-time":"2026-05-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778803200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Materials"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Bone fractures are often treated using invasive methods involving osteosynthesis plates. These plates are typically made of metallic materials such as titanium or steel. However, their high stiffness relative to bone tissue can contribute to the undesirable stress shielding effect. Therefore, there is a growing interest in developing new, more friendly biocompatible materials with improved mechanical properties. A promising candidate is a polymer composite made of high-strength PEEK reinforced with carbon fibers, which was the subject of this study. The aim of this work was a numerical analysis of osteosynthesis plates made from conventional materials and from PEEK-CF composite. The study also included geometric modification of the composite plate using topology optimization methods to reduce the stress shielding effect. The obtained results confirmed that the use of a geometrically optimized composite osteosynthesis plate can reduce bone unloading and ensure an appropriate stress distribution in the implant\u2013bone system.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ma19102082","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]],"date-time":"2026-05-15T14:19:29Z","timestamp":1778854769000},"page":"2082","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Material and Topology Optimization of Composite Bone Plate to Reduce the Stress Shielding Effect"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6069-8987","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Krzysztof","family":"Szymkiewicz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Cracow University of Technology, 24 Warszawska, 31-155 Krak\u00f3w, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"e76250","article-title":"Principles of Fracture Healing and Fixation: A Literature Review","volume":"16","author":"Beeharry","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bone.2009.04.249","article-title":"Spatial and temporal variations of mechanical properties and mineral content of the external callus during bone healing","volume":"45","author":"Manjubala","year":"2009","journal-title":"Bone"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3233","DOI":"10.1007\/s11517-023-02900-4","article-title":"Design considerations for patient-specific bone fixation plates: A literature review","volume":"61","author":"Moosabeiki","year":"2023","journal-title":"Med. 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