Using a finite element pediatric hip model in clinical 2 evaluation - a feasibility study

The paper describe a method to construct a finite element model of the hip joint of a child based on clinical recorded CT data. A model which can be used for diagnostic aid and pre-operative surgical evaluation. First part of this development is a feasibility study of this method. A scan of the asymptomatic left hip of a 10-year-old girl with a dysplastic right hip was used.

Cartilage was not visible why it was modeled as an interaction with constant thickness between two surfaces. For every point on the acetabular and femoral bone surfaces, the shortest distance to the other surface was used to calculate the resulting stress in the normal direction. At a load of 233% BW the model predicted peak pressures in the hip joint of 9.7-13.8 MPa and an area in contact of 351-405 mm2.

Experimental validation using the hip joint of a child was not ethical viable. Instead, our results were compared to previous published experimental studies and computational models investigating the adult hip joint. Good correlation between the current model and previous models were found. The current case specific modeling technique may be a useful complement to the previously developed hip models.