Implant Material Properties and Their Role in Micromotion and Failure in Total Hip Arthroplasty

One of the most vital criteria for hip implant longevity is bony ingrowth that would anchor the implant to the bone. However, motion between the implant and surrounding bone (called micromotion) can hamper this, eventually leading to pain, loss of motion, damage to the bone, and eventual revision of the surgery. The objective of this research was to determine how mechanical properties; namely Young’s modulus, affects micromotion and failure in the surrounding bone. Mathematical models were used, along with finite element analysis, to determine if elastic modulus played a role in both micromotion and bone failure. However, by increasing the modulus of the implant, the bone becomes susceptible to stress shielding. Therefore, it is important to optimize implants for both stress shielding and micromotion