Numerical simulation of an osteoporotic femur

Abstract

Bone remodelling adapts bone geometry and properties under supported loadings. This optimization process is deteriorated by metabolic diseases like osteoporosis which involves femoral neck fractures and implies Total Hip Arthroplasty. Two finite element models are developed to evaluate the stress distribution within osteoporotic human femur bone tissue, and its influence on the stem stability. The geometries of human femur and prosthesis are obtained by helicoid scanner acquisition. The cortical bone was separated from the trabecular bone by apparent density threshold. The results obtained for osteoporotic femur show that the degradation of trabecular architecture causes high stresses in the anteroinferior zone of the cortical bone. For the femur with hip prosthesis, high stresses weak the bone tissue in the lateral zone of the proximal dyaphisis and in the medial zone of the distal part at the end of the stem.