Numerical simulation of bone remodeling in a prosthetic cotyle-hemipelvis system

An arthroplasty has the first aim to relieve patient of pain and to restore the correct kinematics of a pathological joint; however it is well known that the insertion of a prosthetic component in a skeletal segment determines a sensible variation of the strain-stress state in bone. It is also well known that bone, in reply to these variations, remodels itself trying to optimize its structural function. This work has the aim to make a personalized analysis of the evolution in time of a prosthetic cotyle-hemipelvis system, in consequence of the action of internal and external bone remodeling. The research done suggests a videodensitometric analysis procedure combined to an analysis of the variation of the periprosthetic bone thickness, followed by a numerical simulation of bone remodeling based on Beaupré et al. theory, completed by relations that link bone remodelling rate to bone density variations and bone density to its structural characteristics, implemented in the Finite Element commercial code Abaqus (Dassault Systèmes).