The effect of acetabular cup size on the short-term stability of revision hip arthroplasty: A finite element investigation

The study uses idealized two-dimensional finite element models to examine the behaviour of the acetabular construct following revision hip arthroplasty, carried out using the Slooff-Ling impaction grafting technique. The behaviour of bone graft was considered in detail, with non-linear elasticity and non-associated plasticity being adopted. Load was applied to the acetabular construct through a femoral head using smooth sliding surfaces. In particular, four models were subjected to two idealized cyclic load cases to investigate the effect of acetabular cup size on the short-term stability of the acetabular construct. The study suggests that benefits may be gained by using the largest practical size of acetabular cup. © IMechE 2004.