Biofidel FEA Modeling of Customized Hybrid Biological Hip Joint Prostheses, Part I: Biomechanical Behavior of Implanted Femur

Biofidel femur Finite Element Models have been developed using specific combination of Computer Tomography segmentation and solid modeling software tools able to represent bone physiology and structural behavior. These biofidel Finite Element Models (FEM) is used to evaluate the modification of the physiological stress distribution in a prosthesized femur and to assess new design criteria for the development of biomimetic hybrid biological hip prostheses. The faithful models proposed allowed us to properly consider the not isotropic characteristics of the proximal epiphysis of the femur and for the isotropic behavior in diaphysis to explain the critical alterations of the stress distribution in a resected femur following the implantation of a traditional hip joint prostheses. It has been shown that a wide region of the femur diaphysis is completely shielded by the rigid prosthesis significantly altering the physiological stress distribution that should guaranty a healthy bone growth and regeneration.