Assessment of the applicability of the Hertzian contact theory to edge-loaded prosthetic hip bearings.

ABSTRACT: The components of prosthetic hip bearings may experience in-vivo subluxation and edge loading on the acetabular socket as a result of joint laxity, causing abnormally high, damaging contact stresses. In this research, edge-loaded contact of prosthetic hips is examined analytically and experimentally in the most commonly used categories of material pairs. In edge-loaded ceramic-on-ceramic hips, the Hertzian contact theory yields accurate (conservatively, <10% error) predictions of the contact dimensions. Moreover, the Hertzian theory successfully captures slope and curvature trends in the dependence of contact patch geometry on the applied load. In an edge-loaded ceramic-on-metal pair, a similar degree of accuracy is observed in the contact patch length; however, the contact width is less a

SUBMITTER: Sanders AP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3208794 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature