ABSTRACT
The authors have developed a physical model of the femoral portion of a hip replacement which allows visualisation of fatigue damage accumulation in the cement mantle. The extent to which the model accurately replicates damage accumulation within such a structure was assessed by calculating cement stresses using two- and three-dimensional finite element analyses. The strains on the surface of the cement were experimentally measured and compared to the results from the finite element models. The results show that the magnitude of the stresses generated in the cement mantle of the experimental model are within the range of those reported in the literature. However the distribution of stress differs from finite element models with more physiological geometries. The experimental model was found to be suitable for quantification of damage and the accuracy of the two-dimensional finite element analysis was found to be sufficient for modelling of the damage accumulation phenomenon. Fatigue crack data from the experimental model can be used to validate finite element predictions of damage.
