Abstract:
This study details the development and, importantly, the validation of a subject-specific, three-dimensional finite element (FE) model of the human hip joint. The primary objective was to verify the model's accuracy by directly comparing its computational predictions with experimental measurements of both cortical bone strains and cartilage contact stress. To achieve this, two cadaveric hip joints were used; one was instrumented with strain gauges on the pelvis, and the other had pressure-sensitive film placed on the femoral head. Both hips were subjected to physiological loading. Patient-specific FE models were created from high-resolution CT scans of each specimen. The models incorporated detailed anatomical features, including a spatially varying cortical shell thickness and location-dependent elastic modulus for the trabecular bone based on CT density. The FE models were then subjected to loading conditions that mimicked the experiments. The results showed a strong correlation between the predicted and experimentally measured principal bone strains (R 2 =0.82) and excellent agreement in the magnitude and spatial distribution of cartilage contact stress. A key finding from sensitivity studies was that modeling the bones as deformable, rather than rigid, is critical for accurately predicting the location and magnitude of cartilage contact pressures.
