Analysis of the Fracture Behavior of Orthopedic Cement Using Submodeling Technique

Abstract

Orthopedic cement is an essential component of cemented Total Hip Replacements (THR). It must ensure three essential functions: very good implant-cement adhesion, good bone-implant load transfer, and good antibiotic transport. The main objective of the present work is to study the fracture behavior of orthopedic cement in total hip replacements. The analysis is performed using the submodel technique. Two cases are being considered. The first case involves ordinary cracks, while the second case involves cracks emanating from cavities in the cement of the THR acetabular part. The effects of crack position and implant orientation on the variation of stress intensity factors (SIF) in the three failure modes are discussed. It has also been shown that the circumferential positions of cracks present a major risk of loosening of the prosthesis, especially when the defect is aligned with its axis.