Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 28, 2025

Individualized Stem-positioning in Calcar-guided Short-stem Total Hip Arthroplasty
Published on: February 27, 2018
Stress shielding effect after total hip arthroplasty varies between combinations of stem design and stiffness-a
Rene Burchard1,2,3, Jan A Graw4, Christian Soost5
1University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany. burcharr@staff.uni-marburg.de.
Purpose:
Total hip arthroplasty (THA) has become a highly frequent orthopaedic procedure. Multiple approaches have been made to design the femoral component for THA with a mechanical behaviour as close as possible to a natural femur. The aim of this study was to compare different combinations of design and biomechanical properties of THA prostheses and their impact on stress shielding of the periprosthetic bone.
Methods:
Virtual implantation of different stem designs (straight standard stem, straight short stem, anatomical short stem) by finite element analysis based on in vivo data from computer tomography was performed. For each stem, three grades of stiffness were generated, followed by a strain analysis.
Results:
Reduction of stem stiffness led to less stress shielding. Implantation of an anatomical short-stem prosthesis with low stiffness provided the most physiological strain-loading effect (p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
A combination of a short and an anatomically designed stem with a low stiffness might provide a more physiological strain transfer during THA. Biomechanical properties of the femoral component for THA should be considered as a multifactorial function of dimensions, design, and stiffness.
Related Concept Videos
Bending of Members Made of Several Materials
Hooke's Law determines stress in each material, stating that stress is proportional to strain but varies due to each...
Design of Transmission Shafts - Stress Analysis
Stress Concentrations in Circular Shafts
Stresses under Combined Loadings
The process begins by slicing the tube at critical points and analyzing the internal forces and stress components at these sections, focusing on the centroid. Normal stresses, generated by axial forces and bending moments, are either compressive or tensile and vary across the section from...

