Photoelastic simulation of a cementless and of a hydroxyapatite coated total hip prosthesis

Remodelling of bone, regularly observed after the implantation of a hydroxyapatite coated Furlong hip prosthesis, stimulated the authors to analyse the stress distribution and relative magnitude in photoelastic models, of 1. the upper half of an intact femur; 2. of a femur equipped with a prosthesis free of glue to simulate the implantation of a cementless non coated prosthesis; and 3. of a femur in which a prosthesis was glued to simulate the implantation of a hydroxyapatite coated prosthesis. The results match precisely the remodelling thus observed in the X-rays.