Discrete element analysis is a valid method for computing joint contact stress in the hip before and after acetabular fracture

Kevin C Townsend; Holly D Thomas-Aitken; M James Rudert; Andrew M Kern; Michael C Willey; Donald D Anderson; Jessica E Goetz

doi:10.1016/j.jbiomech.2017.11.014

$Discrete element analysis is a valid method for computing joint contact stress in the hip before and after acetabular fracture$

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Discrete element analysis is a valid method for computing joint contact stress in the hip before and after acetabular fracture

Kevin C Townsend, Holly D Thomas-Aitken, M James Rudert, Andrew M Kern, Michael C Willey, Donald D Anderson and Jessica E Goetz

Journal of biomechanics, Vol.67, pp.9-17

01/23/2018

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2017.11.014

PMCID: PMC5767141

PMID: 29221903

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/5767141View

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Abstract

Evaluation of abnormalities in joint contact stress that develop after inaccurate reduction of an acetabular fracture may provide a potential means for predicting the risk of developing post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Discrete element analysis (DEA) is a computational technique for calculating intra-articular contact stress distributions in a fraction of the time required to obtain the same information using the more commonly employed finite element analysis technique. The goal of this work was to validate the accuracy of DEA-computed contact stress against physical measurements of contact stress made in cadaveric hips using Tekscan sensors. Four static loading tests in a variety of poses from heel-strike to toe-off were performed in two different cadaveric hip specimens with the acetabulum intact and again with an intentionally malreduced posterior wall acetabular fracture. DEA-computed contact stress was compared on a point-by-point basis to stress measured from the physical experiments. There was good agreement between computed and measured contact stress over the entire contact area (correlation coefficients ranged from 0.88 to 0.99). DEA-computed peak contact stress was within an average of 0.5 MPa (range 0.2-0.8 MPa) of the Tekscan peak stress for intact hips, and within an average of 0.6 MPa (range 0-1.6 MPa) for fractured cases. DEA-computed contact areas were within an average of 33% of the Tekscan-measured areas (range: 1.4-60%). These results indicate that the DEA methodology is a valid method for accurately estimating contact stress in both intact and fractured hips.

Acetabulum - physiology

Humans

Stress, Physiological

Acetabulum - injuries

Male

Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Hip Fractures - physiopathology

Hip Joint - physiology

Biomechanical Phenomena

Spinal Fractures

Adult

Cartilage - physiology

Finite Element Analysis

Aged

Osteoarthritis

Cadaver

Models, Anatomic

Details

Title: Subtitle: Discrete element analysis is a valid method for computing joint contact stress in the hip before and after acetabular fracture
Creators: Kevin C Townsend - Department of Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Holly D Thomas-Aitken - Department of Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
M James Rudert - Department of Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Andrew M Kern - Department of Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Michael C Willey - Department of Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Donald D Anderson - Department of Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Jessica E Goetz - Department of Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA. Electronic address: jessica-goetz@uiowa.edu
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of biomechanics, Vol.67, pp.9-17
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2017.11.014
PMID: 29221903
PMCID: PMC5767141
NLM abbreviation: J Biomech
ISSN: 0021-9290
eISSN: 1873-2380
Publisher: United States
Grant note: S10 OD018526 / NIH HHS P50 AR055533 / NIAMS NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 01/23/2018
Academic Unit: Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Orthopedics and Rehabilitation; Industrial and Systems Engineering; Injury Prevention Research Center
Record Identifier: 9984040259502771

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