Research paper on AdhFix published in Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

The BoneFix team at the AO Research Institute Davos (ARI) has published another paper in Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. The paper describes fatigue behaviour of Bonevolent^TM-AdhFix on transverse fractures in ovine bone substrate. AdhFix is a light-curable, highly customisable bone fixation technology. It incorporates metal screws and our Bonevolent^TM technology, making it well-suited for complex or comminuted fractures.

To evaluate AdhFix's performance, forty proximal phalanges were dissected from skeletally mature female Swiss alpine sheep (age: 3.7 ± 1.1 years, weight: 73.6 ± 7.3kg) for this study. The ovine bones were dissected and stripped of all soft tissue. Utilising AdhFix, midshaft osteotomies were performed on ovine proximal phalanges, as shown in the figures below. To maintain hydration and mimic physiological conditions, the bone samples were then wrapped in gauze soaked in electrolyte-rich Ringer’s solution.

(a)    SolidWorks rendering of experimental setup with the sample submerged in Ringer’s solution and the machine actuator

(b)    Four-point bending fixture with a representative sample

The dimensions of the AdhFix patches were measured with a width of 7.06 mm (SD = 0.58 mm) and a height of 1.61 mm (SD =0.25 mm, range: 1.14–2.19 mm).To determine the lower and upper load limits ensuring survival and causing failure at this thickness, the osteosyntheses were subjected to 12,600 cycles while submerged in a water bath at 37 degrees. The paper shows the probability of survival of the osteosynthesis at four different peak loads, ranging from 100% survival at a peak load of 93.5 N (9.5Kg) to 0% survival at a peak load of 233.8 N (23.8Kg).

This research was funded by the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 952150 (BoneFix), an initiative focused on advancing bio-based, patient-tailored solutions for bone repair. “The support from the EU enabled us to bring science, engineering, and clinical relevance together,” said Michael Malkoch, Professor at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Director of the BoneFix consortium and Founder of Biomedical Bonding AB. “We’re now entering a phase where clinical translation and strategic partnerships will define the next chapter.”

The paper can be accessed via https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2025.1515319/full. Data used in the paper has also been uploaded to an open data repository, which can be found at https://zenodo.org/records/13843571.

Ethical Disclosure

Although the AdhFix composite was supplied by Biomedical Bonding AB, the company had no influence on study design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation, nor on the selection or treatment of specimens. All experiments were conducted independently by the research team under pre-approved ethical protocols. This separation is central to maintaining scientific integrity and clinical trust.