PERFORMANCE CHARACTERIZATION AND MODELING OF A COMPOSITE HIP PROSTHESIS

Hip prostheses made from thick laminated composite material were cyclically tested under biaxial compressive loading. Fatigue damage was studied using X-ray radiography, a surface replication, and sectioning of the specimens. It has been shown that damage in the neck region occurred predominantly in form of matrix cracking along fiber directions in the major load-carrying plies. These matrix cracks initiated from the surface of the medial-posterior corner, as a result of local high compressive stress, extended to the lateral side, and distributed toward the anterior side, with an increase of applied cycles. We also briefly outlined a life-prediction model for predicting the remaining life and strength of the composite prosthesis based on a "critical element" concept, as well as how laboratory test results can be used in the model.