THE DETECTION OF INSERTION ENDPOINT AND STABILITY ASSESSMENT OF CEMENTLESS HIP STEMS BY VIBRATION ANALYSIS:
A PER-OPERATIVE PILOT STUDY

Leonard PASTRAV
cezar.pastrav@mech.kuleuven.be

Siegfried JAECQUES
siegfried.jaecques@mech.kuleuven.be

Michiel MULIER
michiel.mulier@uz.kuleuven.be

Georges VAN DER PERRE
georges.vanderperre@mech.kuleuven.be


Catholic University of Leuven, BELGIUM

Abstract. The stability of an implant in bone is directly related to the quality of the contact at the bone-implant interface. The assessment of the primary stability of cementless implants still remains a subjective factor in total hip replacement (THR) and, as a consequence, the excessive press-fitting of a THR component can be the cause of intra-operative fractures. Objective information about the stability of implant-bone structures can be obtained using methods based on vibration analysis. After extensive in vitro studies a per-operative protocol was designed to detect the insertion endpoint and/or to assess the stability of custom made hip prostheses. The frequency response function evolution during the hip stem insertion in the femur was studied. The experiments were performed in per-operative conditions.
 

Keywords: cementless hip implant, implant-bone contact, implant stability, vibration analysis, frequency response function

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