We are pleased to announce that our project, coordinated by Dr Ayhan Hacioglu and titled “Design and Development of a PLA/PCL-Based Functionally Graded Bioresorbable Fixation Plate via Additive Manufacturing for Mandibular Fractures,” has been awarded funding under the TÜBİTAK 3501 – Career Development Program.
The project will engineer functionally graded (FGM), bioresorbable plates manufactured by 3D printing and evaluate their mechanical, corrosion/tribocorrosion, and biocompatibility performance. In parallel, we will build finite element analysis (FEA) models to link processing, structure, and properties, and to guide design optimization.
“Our goal is a patient-centric implant concept that is biocompatible, bioresorbable, and mechanically graded—aiming to reduce secondary surgery and biomechanically support healing,”
— Ayhan Hacıoğlu, Principal Investigator
Why it matters
- Patient comfort: Potential to reduce implant removal surgeries
- Graded mechanics: Location-specific response through FGM architecture
- Personalization: Design flexibility enabled by additive manufacturing
- Scientific impact: Integrated test + FEA framework for process–structure–property insights
Project Team
- Principal Investigator: Ayhan Hacıoğlu
- Researchers: Dr. Berzah Yavuzyegit, Dr. Sinan Eraslan, Dr. Alkım Aydın, Dr. Celal Soyarslan, Hülya Şahin Yavuzyegit, Prof. Gordon Blunn, Prof. Inna Gitman
- Research Group: Innovative Materials Mechanics Group
We gratefully acknowledge the strong support of Rector Prof. Dr. Yusuf Yılmaz and Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Mete Avcı.