BSIOrtho – Hip arthroplasty

In light of the progressive increase in total hip arthroplasty and revision surgeries related to implant failure, the need for a thorough pre- and post-operative evaluation is evident. Bone quality, bone density, implant type and patient anatomy are critical factors that must be taken into consideration for the success of the surgery.

Patient-specific finite element (FE) analyzes could support understanding of the mechanical behavior of orthopedic devices and guide surgeon decision-making.

In this perspective, the BSIOrtho project was born which aims to investigate the role of finite element analysis based on DEXA (Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry) as a support tool for preoperative planning and follow-up of hip arthroplasty.
In collaboration with the Politecnico of Turin, patient-specific finite element models were developed considering the intact femur and inserting two different types of hip stems (cemented and non-cemented) in nine different sizes.

The mechanical response of the bone to the prosthesis was evaluated in the 7 Gruen zones around the implant by calculating bone deformation and comparing the results of the prosthetic femur with those obtained on the intact femur model.
The project uses BMD, BMI, implant design, and DXA-based FE analysis tools for prediction of bone loss or growth around the prosthesis, which influences femoral strain status.

BSIOrtho could facilitate and improve the clinical management of the patient and represent an optimal solution for the follow-up of patients with analysis times and execution costs suitable for its use in clinical practice.

Pubblication:  Cuttone S, Rinaudo L, Bignardi C, Aldieri A, Terzini M, Croce A, Messina C, Mangiavini L, Sconfienza LM, Ulivieri FM. DXA-Based Finite Element Analysis as Support for Pre and Post-operative Evaluation of Hip Arthroplasty. J. Med. Biol. Eng. (2022).