Explicit finite element analysis to predict impact damage response of osteoporosis hip bone

Abstract

Hip fractures due to sideways falls are a worldwide health problem, especially amongst elderly people. The force experienced by the proximal femur during a fall, and therefore hip fracture, is significantly dependent on density, thickness and stiffness of the body during impact. The process of fracture and healing can only be understood in terms of the structure and composition of the bone and also its mechanical properties. Bone fracture analysis investigates the prediction of various failure mechanisms under different loading conditions. An accurate explicit finite element method will assist scientists and researchers to predict the impact damage response of bone structures. In this paper, the effect of low velocity impact on the osteoporotic hip in ageing people will be studied in LSDYNA. The first part aims to create a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and registration of semi-transparent computed tomography scan image data using Simpleware software. In the second part, the effect of cortical thickness and impact velocity on the energy absorption of the hip during a fall will be investigated on a 3D model using the latest techniques. The critical impulse loading of the hip will be the benchmark to improve the design of safety instruments and consequently the well-being of elderly people.