Modeling the debonding process of osseointegrated implants due to coupled adhesion and friction

Abstract: Cementless implants have become widely used for total hip replacement surgery. The long-term stability of these implants is achieved by bone growing around and into the porous surface of the implant, a process called osseointegration. However, debonding of the bone-implant interface can still occur due to aseptic implant loosening and insufficient osseointegration, which may have dramatic consequences. The aim of this work is to describe a new 3D finite element frictional contact formulation for the debonding of partially osseointegrated implants. The contact model is based on a modified Coulomb's friction law (Immel et al. 2020, Biomech. Model. Mechanobiol.) that takes into account the tangential debonding of the bone-implant interface. This model is extended in the direction normal to the bone-implant interface by considering a cohesive zone model, to account for adhesion phenomena in the normal direction and for adhesive friction of partially bonded interfaces. The model is applied to simulate the debonding of an acetabular cup implant. The influence of partial osseointegration and adhesive effects on the long-term stability of the implant is assessed. The influence of different patient- and implant-specific parameters such as the friction coefficient, the trabecular Young's modulus and the interference fit is also analyzed, in order to determine the optimal stability for different configurations. Furthermore, this work provides guidelines for future experimental and computational studies, that are necessary for further parameter calibration.