Failure analysis of a total hip prosthesis implanted in active patient.
biomechanical · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 20826368.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2010.06.004.
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Abstract
This work presents an analysis of a total hip prosthesis that failed in service prematurely within 5 years. The prosthesis presented a fractured stem that was extracted from a 46 year old male patient, 75 kg weight and 1.76 m height. In order to determine the origin of the failure, the femoral stem component was analyzed by means of visual inspection; optical microscope (OM), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS). The investigation showed that the crack had originated due to a high stress concentration on the anterolateral corner section of the stem. Any discontinuity or defect on the prosthesis surface in this location acted as preferential site to nucleate a crack which propagated by fatigue until the cross section was not able to sustain an eventual high load produced for the active patient.
Medical subject headings
- Hip Prosthesis
- Prosthesis Failure