Abstract
Background
In vivo fluoroscopic studies have proven that femoral head sliding and separation from within the acetabular cup during gait frequently occur for subjects implanted with a total hip arthroplasty. It is hypothesized that these atypical kinematic patterns are due to component malalignments that yield uncharacteristically higher forces on the hip joint that are not present in the native hip. This in vivo joint instability can lead to edge loading, increased stresses, and premature wear on the acetabular component.
Objective
The objective of this study was to use forward solution mathematical modeling to theoretically analyze the causes and effects of hip joint instability and edge loading during both swing and stance phase of gait.
Methods
The model used for this study simulates the quadriceps muscles, hamstring muscles, gluteus muscles, iliopsoas group, tensor fasciae latae, and an adductor muscle group. Other soft tissues include the patellar ligament and the ischiofemoral, iliofemoral, and pubofemoral hip capsular ligaments. The model was previously validated using telemetric implants and fluoroscopic results from existing implant designs. The model was used to simulate theoretical surgeries where various surgical alignments were implemented and to determine the hip joint stability. Parameters of interest in this study are joint instability and femoral head sliding within the acetabular cup, along with contact area, contact forces, contact stresses, and ligament tension.
Results
During swing phase, it was determined that femoral head pistoning is caused by hip capsule laxity resulting from improperly positioned components and reduced joint tension. At the point of maximum velocity of the foot (approximately halfway through), the momentum of the lower leg becomes too great for a lax capsule to properly constrain the hip, leading to the femoral component pistoning outwards. This pistoning motion, leading to separation, is coupled with a decrease in contact area and an impulse-like spike in contact stress (Figure 1).
During stance phase, it was determined that femoral head sliding within the acetabular cup is caused by the proprioceptive notion that the human hip wants to rotate about its native, anatomical center. Thus, component shifting yields abnormal forces and torques on the joint, leading to the femoral component sliding within the cup. This phenomenon of sliding yields acetabular edge-loading on the supero-lateral aspect of the cup (Figure 2). It is also clear that joint sliding yields a decreased contact area, in this case over half of the stable contact area, corresponding to a predicted increase in contact stress, in this case over double (Figure 2).
Discussion
From our current analysis, the causes and effects of hip joint instability are clearly demonstrated. The increased stress that accompanies the pistoning/impulse loading scenarios during swing phase and the supero-lateral edge-loading scenarios during stance phase provide clear explanations for premature component wear on the cup, and thus the importance of proper alignment of the THA components is essential for a maximum THA lifetime.
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