Three-dimensional stress analysis of threaded cups – a finite element analysis

A three-dimensional model of the left acetabulum with inserted threaded cup has been generated, based on the finite element method, to calculate stress patterns in the standing phase during walking. In this study, a hemispherical cup with sharp threads, a parabolic cup with flat threads and a conical cup with sharp threads were analysed and compared. Stress patterns in both implant components and adjacent bony structures were calculated in a directly postoperative situation. The different cups were found to induce different stress patterns, deformations and shifting tendencies. The inlays deform notably and show characteristic rotational movement patterns together with the shell. The inclination angle increases in the hemispherical cup and decreases in the parabolic cup. The conical cup levers outward almost parallel to the bone stock by approximately 0.05 mm. The pole surfaces of the various cups – especially the very convex area next to the threads – induce increased compressive stress in the superior section of the acetabular base. This is increased by a factor of three in the conical cup in comparison to the hemispherical cup and less so in comparison to the parabolic cup. This study illustrates that three-dimensional stress calculations are suitable for procuring additional biomechanical information to augment clinical studies, for evaluating implants and for establishing stability prognoses, especially for newly developed prototypes.