Mechanical analysis of the human pelvis and its application to the artificial hip joint--by means of the three dimensional finite element method.

Mechanical analysis of the human pelvis and the hip joint was performed by means of a three-dimensional finite element method by ASKA program. Two models each standing on one leg were made, one was the pelvis with the physiological hip joint, in the other pelvis part of the cartilage and subchondral bone was replaced with Al2O3 ceramic materials. In this study, we obtained; (1) the various deformations and displacements of the whole pelvis, the pelvic ring and the acetabulum and (2) the principal stress, the maximum shear stress and the Von mises stress on the surface of the whole pelvis and in various horizontal sections of the whole pelvis.