Comparative Analysis of Healthy and Cam-Type Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI) Human Hip Joints Using the Finite Element Method

In this study, a human hip joint with Cam-type Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI) is studied by the Finite Element Method (FEM). This pathology consists of a malformation that causes a lack of sphericity of the head of the femur. In turn, this causes wear and tear of the cartilage, a cause of early osteoarthritis of the hip. The objective is to use the FEM to analyze and compare the increase in the von Mises stress and displacement of the cartilage in healthy and damaged (with Cam-type) human hip joints that this syndrome affects. The 3D models were reconstructed from two medical CT scans of a healthy and a damaged hip joint that were obtained, five years apart, for a male of 80 kg in weight. The 3D models were reconstructed using 3D Slicer software. The cortical and trabecular bone, as well as the cartilage, were segmented. The defects were corrected by MesMixer software that generated STL files. Both models were imported into the Marc Mentat(R) software for the Finite Element Analysis (FEA). It was noted that the thickness of the cartilage decreased enormously during the five years, which suggests imminent mechanical contact between the head of the femur and the acetabulum of the pelvis. The FEA results showed an excessive increase in the stress and displacement of the cartilage. This will certainly result in a condition of osteoarthritis for the patient in the future years.