Failure of Total Hip Arthroplasties. Numerical Modeling of Debris Formation through Plastic Strains

Abstract

The life span of a total hip prosthesis is one of the main points on which the long-term success of arthroplasties depends. It is, by now, widely recognized that hip arthroplasty failure is mainly due to the aseptic loosening resulting from the presence of wear debris forming at the contact interface between the femoral head and the cup of the acetabulum. The size of these particles varies from a few micrometers to some tens of micrometers or more. The main aim of this study was therefore to investigate the formation of debris in the microscopic size range. For this purpose, a numerical study was carried out on various mechanisms leading to plastic deformations, which can lead to damage and wear in material. Numerical analyses were performed with a laboratory software program LMGC90, on the evolution of the plastic strains involved in various wear mechanisms on the microscopic scale.

Keywords:

• Hip arthroplasty
• Wear mechanisms
• Plastic deformations
• Numerical analysis
• Friction
• Finite element method