Author(s)

B.W. Duffy & R.T. Hart

Abstract

Three-dimensional boundary element analysis of the bead-substrate interface of a Ti-6Al-4V orthopaedic implant B.W. Duffy, R.T. Hart Department of Biornedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA ABSTRACT Over the past four decades there have been many different implant systems used in orthopaedic joint replacement surgery. Porous coated Ti-6Al-4V implants, both with and without bone cement, have become a commonly used design in recent years. Unfortunately, the high-cycle fatigue strength of porous coated implants is approximately one-third that of similar uncoated ones. It is known that the stress concentrations near the porous coating-substrate interface are responsible, at least partially, for this reduction in strength. Three- dimensional boundary element models were used to examine the effect of various geometric parameters of the bead-substrate interface on the stress concentration factor, K*. A boundary element software package, BE3DELS,

Keywords