9415343 DiGioia The joint research project between Carnegie Mellon University and Shadyside Hospital proposes to improve our understanding of basic biomechanical issues related to cementless joint replacement surgery, resolve related computational problems, and consequently lead to better support and further improvement of preoperative surgical simulation systems. Specific tasks of the proposed research are: (1) to characterize the assembly strains in the proximal femur and the acetabulum, which occur with the implantation of a cementless press-fit component, (2) to optimize the shape parameters for implant and bone, and (3) to develop an efficient procedure to create a reliable 3D finite element model of the hip joint based on CT scan data. Analytical models will be developed to describe the mechanical performance of the bone/implant construct, and subsequently the mechanical environment due to normal joint loads. The mechanical performance of the full-scale three- dimensional analytical models will be compared to the results from simplified analytical models and published experimental results. ***
