DOI: https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2013.162
Available at: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1080
Date of Award
8-2013
Degree Name
MS in Biomedical Engineering
Department/Program
Biomedical and General Engineering
Advisor
Scott Hazelwood
Abstract
Current research suggests that femoroacetabular impingement can be a cause of osteoarthritis. Femoroacetabular impingement is a condition that can affect both the femur and the pelvis of an individual. Femoroacetabular impingement can cause damage to the hip joint and its surrounding tissues. The articular cartilage and the labrum are both affected by this condition. A cam impingement is where a bony protrusion develops at the femoral head/neck junction. A pincer impingement is where a bony protrusion develops at the acetabular rim. Often, patients are seen with a combination of both impingements. The main goal of this study was to computationally model and analyze acetabular stresses in a healthy hip, a hip with a cam impingement, a hip with a pincer impingement, and a hip with a combination of the two impingements. The bone models were taken from CT scans. The impingements were created by using Autodesk Maya to modify the surfaces of the models. The hip models were set up to model the single-leg stance phase of the walking cycle. For the most part, the impingements reduce the stress experienced by the femur. The only exception to this is that the cam femur paired with the pincer pelvis experienced the highest maximum principal stress in the proximomedial region. The pincer impingements increase both the maximum and minimum principal stresses experienced in the acetabulum. Overall, the two types of femoroacetabular impingement change the stress experienced by both the femur and the pelvis. The results of this study demonstrate that acetabular stresses can increase as a result of femoroacetabular impingements. These increased stresses can lead to damage in the hip joint which presents a clinical problem.