Upward and inward displacements of the acetabular component increase stress on femoral head in single endoprothesis models

Abstract

The centre of rotation of the hip can be displaced in hip dysplasia and revision arthroplasty. This study examined the effect of artificial femoral head load after acetabular component displacement in total hip arthroplasty. Sixteen total hip arthroplasty models of human cadaver specimens were reconstructed, and under different acetabular component position, the load around the femoral head was evaluated by strain gages. The results showed that the load was higher in the same specimens when the cup was moved 2 mm inward or upward, especially after the cup was moved more than 6 mm, and the load had an increasing effect in the inward group. In the upward group, an increasing effect happened at 8 mm upward displacement, but the stress value decreased from 4 mm to 6 mm upward displacement. In the same moving distance, the stress of inward displacement is obviously higher than upward displacement. Altogether, the results suggested that for both inward displacement and upward displacement of the acetabular cup, the load around the femoral head increased gradually, while the distance of the inward displacement and the superior displacement was increased. The greater the displacement, the bigger the loading contact stress. The upward displacement caused less stress change on the femoral head. The stress of the 6 mm upward position was lower than nearby positions; perhaps this site represented a stress buffering zone.