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Bone ingrowth into a porous implant is necessary for its long-term fixation. Although attempts have been made to quantify the peri-implant bone growth using finite element (FE) analysis integrated with mechanoregulatory algorithms, bone ingrowth into a porous cellular hip stem has scarcely been investigated. Using a three-dimensional (3D) FE model and mechanobiology-based numerical framework, the objective of this study was to predict the spatial distribution of evolutionary bone ingrowth into an uncemented novel porous hip stem proposed earlier by the authors. A CT-based FE macromodel of the implant-bone structure was developed. The bone material properties were assigned based on CT grey value. Peak musculoskeletal loading conditions, corresponding to level walking and stair climbing, were applied. The geometry of the implant-bone macromodel was divided into multiple submodels. A suitable mapping framework was used to transfer maximum nodal displacements from the FE macromodel to the cut boundaries of the FE submodels. CT grey value-based bone materials properties were assigned to the submodels. Thereafter, the submodels were solved and simulations of bone ingrowth were carried out using mechanoregulatory principle. A gradual increase in the average Young's modulus, from 1200 to 1500 MPa, of the bone tissue layer was observed considering all the submodels. The distal submodel exhibited 82% of bone ingrowth, whereas the proximal submodel experienced 65% bone ingrowth. Equilibrium in the bone ingrowth process was achieved in 7 weeks postoperatively, with a notable amount of bone ingrowth that should lead to biological fixation of the novel hip stem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of uncemented stems in hip arthroplasty has been increasing, even in osteoporotic patients. The major concerns of uncemented hip-stems, however, are peri-prosthetic fracture, thigh pain, and proximal femoral stress-/strain-shielding. In this study, a novel design of uncemented hip-stem is proposed that will reduce such concerns, improve osseointegration, and benefit both osteoporotic and arthritic patients. The stem has a central titanium alloy core surrounded by a set of radial buttresses that are partly porous titanium, as is the stem tip. The aim of the study was to investigate the mechanical behaviour of the proposed partly-porous design, examining load transfer in the short-term, and comparing its strain-shielding behaviour with a solid metal implant. The long-term effect of implant-induced bone remodelling was also simulated. Computed tomography based three-dimensional finite element models of an intact proximal femur, and the same femur implanted with the proposed design, were developed. Peak hip contact and major muscle forces corresponding to level-walking and stair climbing were applied. The proposed partly-porous design had approximately 50% lower strain-shielding than the solid-metal counterpart. Results of bone remodelling simulation indicated that only 16% of the total bone volume is subjected to reduction of bone density. Strain concentrations were observed in the bone around the stem-tip for both solid and porous implants; however, it was less prominent for the porous design. Lower strain-shielding and reduced bone resorption are advantageous for long-term fixation, and the reduced strain concentration around the stem-tip indicates a lower risk of peri-prosthetic fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]