Quasi-static analysis of hip cement spacers

The use of temporary hip prosthesis made of orthopedic cement (spacer) in conjunction with antibiotics became a widespread method used for treating prosthetic infections despite the fact that this method makes bone cement (PMMA) more fragile. The necessity to incorporate reinforcement is therefore crucial to strengthen the bone cement. In this study, a validated Finite Element Modelling (FEM) was used to analyze the behavior of spacers. This FEM model uses a non-linear dynamic explicit integration to simulate the mechanical behavior of the spacer under quasi-static loading. In addition to this FEM, Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) was also used to investigate the fracture behavior of the spacers reinforced with titanium, ceramic and stainless-steel spacer stems. The effect of the material on the performance of the reinforced spacers was also analyzed. The results showed that numerical modelling based on explicit finite element using ABAQUS/Explicit is an effective method to predict the different spacers' mechanical behavior. The simulated crack initiation and propagation were in a good agreement with experimental observations. The FEM models developed in this study can help mechanical designers and engineers to improve the prostheses’ quality and durability. •The numerical models were validated with data obtained from experimental work undertaken on hip spacer.•The Extended Finite Element Method was used to investigate the fracture behavior of hip spacer.•Use of the explicit method associated with the brittle cracking model to predict the failure of spacer.•The effect of the material on the performance of the reinforced spacers was also analyzed.