A comprehensive analysis of bio-inspired design of femoral stem on primary and secondary stabilities using mechanoregulatory algorithm

Printable functionally graded tibial implant for TAR: FE study comparing implant materials, FGM properties, and implant designs

Tibial implants with functionally graded material (FGM) for total ankle replacement (TAR) can provide stiffness similar to the host tibia bone. The FGM implants with low stiffness reduce stress shielding but may increase implant-bone micromotion. A trade-off between stress shielding and implant-bone micromotion is required if FGMs are to substitute traditionally used Ti and CoCr metal implants. The FGM properties such as material gradation law and volume fraction index may influence the performance of FGM implants. Along with the FGM properties, the design of FGM implants may also have a role to play. The objective of this study was to examine FGM tibial implants for TAR, by comparing implant materials, FGM properties, and implant designs. For this purpose, finite element analysis (FEA) was conducted on 3D FE models of the intact and the implanted tibia bone. The tibial implants were composed of CoCr and Ti, besides them, the FGM of Ti and HA was developed. The FGM implants were modelled using exponential, power, and sigmoid laws. Additionally, for power and sigmoid laws, different volume fraction indices were taken. The effect of implant design was observed by using keel type and stem type TAR fixation designs. The results indicated that FGM implants are better than traditional metal implants. The power law is most suitable for developing FGM implants because it reduces stress shielding. For both power law and sigmoid law, low values of the volume fraction index are preferrable. Therefore, FGM implant developed using power law with 0.1 vol fraction index is ideal with the lowest stress shielding and marginally increased implant-bone micromotion. FGM implants are more useful for keel type fixation design than stem type design. To conclude, with FGMs the major complication of stress shielding can be solved and the longevity and durability of TAR implants can be enhanced.

Assessment of bone ingrowth around beaded coated tibial implant for total ankle replacement using mechanoregulatory algorithm

The long-term performance of porous coated tibial implants for total ankle replacement (TAR) primarily depends on the extent of bone ingrowth at the bone-implant interface. Although attempts were made for primary fixation for immediate post-operative stability, no investigation was conducted on secondary fixation. The aim of this study is to assess bone ingrowth around the porous beaded coated tibial implant for TAR using a mechanoregulatory algorithm. A realistic macroscale finite element (FE) model of the implanted tibia was developed based on computer tomography (CT) data to assess implant-bone micromotions and coupled with microscale FE models of the implant-bone interface to predict bone ingrowth around tibial implant for TAR. The macroscale FE model was subjected to three near physiological loading conditions to evaluate the site-specific implant-bone micromotion, which were then incorporated into the corresponding microscale model to mimic the near physiological loading conditions. Results of the study demonstrated that the implant experienced tangential micromotion ranged from 0 to 71 μm with a mean of 3.871 μm. Tissue differentiation results revealed that bone ingrowth across the implant ranged from 44 to 96 %, with a mean of around 70 %. The average Young's modulus of the inter-bead tissue layer varied from 1444 to 4180 MPa around the different regions of the implant. The analysis postulates that when peak micromotion touches 30 μm around different regions of the implant, it leads to pronounced fibrous tissues on the implant surface. The highest amount of bone ingrowth was observed in the central regions, and poor bone ingrowth was seen in the anterior parts of the implant, which indicate improper osseointegration around this region. This macro-micro mechanical FE framework can be extended to improve the implant design to enhance the bone ingrowth and in future to develop porous lattice-structured implants to predict and enhance osseointegration around the implant.

A macro-micro FE and ANN framework to assess site-specific bone ingrowth around the porous beaded-coated implant: an example with BOX® tibial implant for total ankle replacement

The use of mechanoregulatory schemes based on finite element (FE) analysis for the evaluation of bone ingrowth around porous surfaces is a viable approach but requires significant computational time and effort. The aim of this study is to develop a combined macro-micro FE and artificial neural network (ANN) framework for rapid and accurate prediction of the site-specific bone ingrowth around the porous beaded-coated tibial implant for total ankle replacement (TAR). A macroscale FE model of the implanted tibia was developed based on CT data. Subsequently, a microscale FE model of the implant-bone interface was created for performing bone ingrowth simulations using mechanoregulatory algorithms. An ANN was trained for rapid and accurate prediction of bone ingrowth. The results predicted by ANN are well comparable to FE-predicted results. Predicted site-specific bone ingrowth using ANN around the implant ranges from 43.04 to 98.24%, with a mean bone ingrowth of around 74.24%. Results suggested that the central region exhibited the highest bone ingrowth, which is also well corroborated with the recent explanted study on BOX®. The proposed methodology has the potential to simulate bone ingrowth rapidly and effectively at any given site over any implant surface.

Advancement in total hip implant: a comprehensive review of mechanics and performance parameters across diverse novelties

The UK's National Joint Registry (NJR) and the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) of 2022 revealed that total hip replacement (THR) is the most common orthopaedic joint procedure. The NJR also noted that 10-20% of hip implants require revision within 1 to 10 years. Most of these revisions are a result of aseptic loosening, dislocation, implant wear, implant fracture, and joint incompatibility, which are all caused by implant geometry disparity. The primary purpose of this review article is to analyze and evaluate the mechanics and performance factors of advancement in hip implants with novel geometries. The existing hip implants can be categorized based on two parts: the hip stem and the joint of the implant. Insufficient stress distribution from implants to the femur can cause stress shielding, bone loss, excessive micromotion, and ultimately, implant aseptic loosening due to inflammation. Researchers are designing hip implants with a porous lattice and functionally graded material (FGM) stems, femur resurfacing, short-stem, and collared stems, all aimed at achieving uniform stress distribution and promoting adequate bone remodeling. Designing hip implants with a porous lattice FGM structure requires maintaining stiffness, strength, isotropy, and bone development potential. Mechanical stability is still an issue with hip implants, femur resurfacing, collared stems, and short stems. Hip implants are being developed with a variety of joint geometries to decrease wear, improve an angular range of motion, and strengthen mechanical stability at the joint interface. Dual mobility and reverse femoral head-liner hip implants reduce the hip joint's dislocation limits. In addition, researchers reveal that femoral headliner joints with unidirectional motion have a lower wear rate than traditional ball-and-socket joints. Based on research findings and gaps, a hypothesis is formulated by the authors proposing a hip implant with a collared stem and porous lattice FGM structure to address stress shielding and micromotion issues. A hypothesis is also formulated by the authors suggesting that the utilization of a spiral or gear-shaped thread with a matched contact point at the tapered joint of a hip implant could be a viable option for reducing wear and enhancing stability. The literature analysis underscores substantial research opportunities in developing a hip implant joint that addresses both dislocation and increased wear rates. Finally, this review explores potential solutions to existing obstacles in developing a better hip implant system.

Computational assessment of growth of connective tissues around textured hip stem subjected to daily activities after THA

Longer-term stability of uncemented femoral stem depends on ossification at bone-implant interface. Although attempts have been made to assess the amount of bone growth using finite element (FE) analysis in combination with a mechanoregulatory algorithm, there has been little research on tissue differentiation patterns on hip stems with proximal macro-textures. The primary goal of this investigation is to qualitatively compare the formation of connective tissues around a femoral implant with/without macro-textures on its proximal surfaces. This study also predicts formation of different tissue phenotypes and their spatio-temporal distribution around a macro-textured femoral stem under routine activities. Results from the study show that non-textured implants (80 to 94%) encourage fibroplasia compared to that in textured implants (71 to 85.38%) under similar routine activity, which might trigger aseptic loosening of implant. Formation of bone was more on medio-lateral sides and towards proximal regions of Gruen zones 2 and 6, which was found to be in line with clinical observations. Fibroplasia was higher under stair climbing (85 to 91%) compared to that under normal walking (71 to 85.38%). This study suggests that stair climbing, although falls under recommended activity, might be detrimental to patient compared to normal walking in the initial rehabilitation period.

A novel hybrid design and modelling of a customised graded Ti-6Al-4V porous hip implant to reduce stress-shielding: An experimental and numerical analysis

Stress shielding secondary to bone resorption is one of the main causes of aseptic loosening, which limits the lifespan of hip prostheses and exacerbates revision surgery rates. In order to minimise post-hip replacement stress variations, this investigation proposes a low-stiffness, porous Ti6Al4V hip prosthesis, developed through selective laser melting (SLM). The stress shielding effect and potential bone resorption properties of the porous hip implant were investigated through both in vitro quasi-physiological experimental assays, together with finite element analysis. A solid hip implant was incorporated in this investigation for contrast, as a control group. The stiffness and fatigue properties of both the solid and the porous hip implants were measured through compression tests. The safety factor of the porous hip stem under both static and dynamic loading patterns was obtained through simulation. The porous hip implant was inserted into Sawbone/PMMA cement and was loaded to 2,300 N (compression). The proposed porous hip implant demonstrated a more natural stress distribution, with reduced stress shielding (by 70%) and loss in bone mass (by 60%), when compared to a fully solid hip implant. Solid and porous hip stems had a stiffness of 2.76 kN/mm and 2.15 kN/mm respectively. Considering all daily activities, the porous hip stem had a factor of safety greater than 2. At the 2,300 N load, maximum von Mises stresses on the hip stem were observed as 112 MPa on the medial neck and 290 MPa on the distal restriction point, whereby such values remained below the endurance limit of 3D printed Ti6Al4V (375 MPa). Overall, through the strut thickness optimisation process for a Ti6Al4V porous hip stem, stress shielding and bone resorption can be reduced, therefore proposing a potential replacement for the generic solid implant.

Additively manufactured controlled porous orthopedic joint replacement designs to reduce bone stress shielding: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Total joint replacements are an established treatment for patients suffering from reduced mobility and pain due to severe joint damage. Aseptic loosening due to stress shielding is currently one of the main reasons for revision surgery. As this phenomenon is related to a mismatch in mechanical properties between implant and bone, stiffness reduction of implants has been of major interest in new implant designs. Facilitated by modern additive manufacturing technologies, the introduction of porosity into implant materials has been shown to enable significant stiffness reduction; however, whether these devices mitigate stress-shielding associated complications or device failure remains poorly understood.

METHODS

In this systematic review, a broad literature search was conducted in six databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Medline, Embase, Compendex, and Inspec) aiming to identify current design approaches to target stress shielding through controlled porous structures. The search keywords included 'lattice,' 'implant,' 'additive manufacturing,' and 'stress shielding.'

RESULTS

After the screening of 2530 articles, a total of 46 studies were included in this review. Studies focusing on hip, knee, and shoulder replacements were found. Three porous design strategies were identified, specifically uniform, graded, and optimized designs. The latter included personalized design approaches targeting stress shielding based on patient-specific data. All studies reported a reduction of stress shielding achieved by the presented design.

CONCLUSION

Not all studies used quantitative measures to describe the improvements, and the main stress shielding measures chosen varied between studies. However, due to the nature of the optimization approaches, optimized designs were found to be the most promising. Besides the stiffness reduction, other factors such as mechanical strength can be considered in the design on a patient-specific level. While it was found that controlled porous designs are overall promising to reduce stress shielding, further research and clinical evidence are needed to determine the most superior design approach for total joint replacement implants.

Biomechanical performance of Ti-PEEK dental implants in bone: An in-silico analysis

Stress-shielding is caused by a significant mismatch in stiffness between bone tissue and Ti alloy dental implants. Therefore, in this study, a Ti-PEEK composite implant was examined and compared with conventional titanium, to determine the behavior of the host bone. Twelve 3D finite element models were modeled with two conditions of marginal cortical bone (with and without marginal bone loss). Six implant designs were constructed. Implant (A) was made with a conventional design (dense titanium), implants (B), (C) and (D) are designed with Ti-PEEK composite (outer layer made of PEEK and inner structures made of Ti with hexagonal, cylindrical, and cross shapes for implants (B), (C) and (D), respectively), the implant (E) is designed with Ti at the upper half section and PEEK at the bottom half section, and the implant (F) is designed with PEEK at the upper half section and Ti at the bottom half section. An axial load of 200 N was applied to the buccal cusp and central fossa of the occlusal surface. The displacements, stress, and equivalent strain were analyzed at the level of bone tissue. The mechanostat of Frost was used to determine the behavior of the cancellous bone under these biomechanical conditions. Results showed that strains were greater in cancellous bone with marginal bone loss than in healthy bone (w/o MBL). When compared to implants (B)-(F), conventional implant (A) did not produce as much strain. Thus, results and analyses suggest that the Ti-PEEK implants outperform compared with the implant (A) in the case of no marginal bone loss. However, the implants (A) and (E) perform equally in terms of bone loss.

Mechanical and Fatigue Behavior of Cellular Structure Ti-6Al-4V Alloy Femoral Stems: A Finite Element Analysis

Repetitive loads acting on the hip joint fluctuate according to the type of activities produced by the human body. Repetitive loading is one of the factors that leads to fatigue failure of the implanted stems. The objective of this study is to develop lightweight femoral stems with cubic porous structures that will survive under fatigue loading. Cubic porous structures with different volumetric porosities were designed and subjected to compressive loading using finite element analysis (FEA) to measure the elastic moduli, yield strength, and ultimate tensile strength. These porous structures were employed to design femoral stems containing mechanical properties under compressive loading close to the intact bone. Several arrangements of radial geometrical porous functionally graded (FG) and homogenous Ti-6Al-4V porous femoral stems were designed and grouped under three average porosities of 30%, 50%, and 70% respectively. The designed stems were simulated inside the femoral bone with physiological loads demonstrating three walking speeds of 1, 3, and 5 km/h using ABAQUS. Stresses at the layers of the functionally graded stem were measured and compared with the yield strength of the relevant porous structure to check the possibility of yielding under the subjected load. The Soderberg approach is employed to compute the safety factor (Nf > 1.0) for each design under each loading condition. Several designs were shortlisted as potential candidates for orthopedic implants.

Design of Titanium Alloy Femoral Stem Cellular Structure for Stress Shielding and Stem Stability: Computational Analysis

The main objective of this study is to design titanium alloy femoral stems with cubic porous structures that will be able to reduce stress shielding and promote stem stability. These porous structure designs were introduced into titanium alloy femoral stems as homogeneous and functionally graded porous structures. First, the cubic cellular structures were simulated under compressive loading to measure the yield and modulus of elasticity for various porosity ranges. Based on the selected porosity range, fifteen different arrangements of radial geometrical functionally graded (FG) designs were developed with average porosities of 30, 50, and 70% respectively. Finite element models were developed with physiological loads presenting three different walking speeds (1, 3, and 5 km/h), where the average human body weight was assumed. Stresses at the bone Gruen zones were measured to check the percentage of stress transfer to the bone for each porous stem design and were compared with the bulk stem. Several FG stem designs were shortlisted for further investigation as candidates for hip implants.

Femoral Stems With Porous Lattice Structures: A Review

Cementless femoral stems are prone to stress shielding of the femoral bone, which is caused by a mismatch in stiffness between the femoral stem and femur. This can cause bone resorption and resultant loosening of the implant. It is possible to reduce the stress shielding by using a femoral stem with porous structures and lower stiffness. A porous structure also provides a secondary function of allowing bone ingrowth, thus improving the long-term stability of the prosthesis. Furthermore, due to the advent of additive manufacturing (AM) technology, it is possible to fabricate femoral stems with internal porous lattices. Several review articles have discussed porous structures, mainly focusing on the geometric design, mechanical properties and influence on bone ingrowth. However, the safety and effectiveness of porous femoral stems depend not only on the characteristic of porous structure but also on the macro design of the femoral stem; for example, the distribution of the porous structure, the stem geometric shape, the material, and the manufacturing process. This review focuses on porous femoral stems, including the porous structure, macro geometric design of the stem, performance evaluation, research methods used for designing and evaluating the femoral stems, materials and manufacturing techniques. In addition, this review will evaluate whether porous femoral stems can reduce stress shielding and increase bone ingrowth, in addition to analyzing their shortcomings and related risks and providing ideas for potential design improvements.

A novel design, analysis and 3D printing of Ti-6Al-4V alloy bio-inspired porous femoral stem

The current study is proposing a design envelope for porous Ti-6Al-4V alloy femoral stems to survive under fatigue loads. Numerical computational analysis of these stems with a body-centered-cube (BCC) structure is conducted in ABAQUS. Femoral stems without shell and with various outer dense shell thicknesses (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2 mm) and inner cores (porosities of 90, 77, 63, 47, 30, and 18%) are analyzed. A design space (envelope) is derived by using stem stiffnesses close to that of the femur bone, maximum fatigue stresses of 0.3σ_ys in the porous part, and endurance limits of the dense part of the stems. The Soderberg approach is successfully employed to compute the factor of safety N_f > 1.1. Fully porous stems without dense shells are concluded to fail under fatigue load. It is thus safe to use the porous stems with a shell thickness of 1.5 and 2 mm for all porosities (18-90%), 1 mm shell with 18 and 30% porosities, and 0.5 mm shell with 18% porosity. The reduction in stress shielding was achieved by 28%. Porous stems incorporated BCC structures with dense shells and beads were successfully printed.