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

Abstract

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.