Finite Element Analysis is used extensively to assess the design and variation of surgical parameters in joint prostheses, but the majority of these analyses are undertaken on a single sample. The variation in implant stability has been found to be as large between patients as the variation found between different loading scenarios.
This project investigated two methods which could be implemented to account for the patient variation experienced over the population. The first method analysed a group of16 patients and examined the variation in the results to determine the spread of data over the population using CT imaging and FEA. The second method explored was probabilistic techniques; these methods are able to account for inter-patient variables along with multiple variables such as surgical parameters and implant design. Two case studies were undertaken on a single femur model; one varying only surgical parameters, the second incorporating patient variables such as load and bone density.
The project determined that probabilistic methods would be invaluable in future research work, and laid the groundwork for future studies using statistical shape models of bones.
