ABSTRACT
Aseptic loosening is the most common cause of late failure of total hip replacement. Meticulous preparation of the bone bed and cement pressurisation are considered to be important to improve initial fixation of implants by facilitating effective interdigitation of cement and bone. In this study the finite element method has been used to predict the pressurisation and consequent penetration of bone cement into cancellous bone during component insertion in joint replacement operations. Parametric analyses showed cement penetration to be greater with flanged cups, reduced viscosity cement, higher insertion force and more permeable cancellous bone. Cement penetration varied from negligible (less than 0.5 mm) to more than 5 mm. The values for ultimate cement penetration were in good agreement with the range of values reported in the literature and appeared reasonable in comparison to typical post operative radiographic appearances.
