Scientists from Perm Polytechnic University (PNRPU) have for the first time created a computer model of a hip prosthesis cup made of carbon-carbon composite and calculated its failure threshold. As reported by the university's press service, the study closes the last gap on the way to a fully composite endoprosthesis: previously, this material was only studied for the femoral component, while the cup, which bears the main load during walking, remained unexplored.
Metal prostheses, which are implanted in approximately one million patients worldwide annually, eventually loosen due to the mismatch in stiffness between metal and bone. Carbon-carbon composite has absolute biocompatibility with bone tissue and high wear resistance, but its internal structure is chaotic and heterogeneous, making it impossible to predict failure using conventional engineering methods.
The researchers built a digital model of the cup and gradually loaded it from 0 to 400 kilograms, sifting through thousands of variants of the material's internal structure. The result: the first microcracks appear at a load of about 220 kilograms, but the most dangerous types of damage only appear at pressures above 650 kilograms – such as those primarily experienced by athletes.
For an average person, joint loads rarely exceed 220 kilograms, which means that a composite cup does not get damaged in everyday life. Thus, the development of a solid composite implant moves from the realm of theoretical hypotheses to the field of real engineering design with fully predictable strength and durability characteristics.
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