Abstract
The need to identify the bond quality between the implant material and the bone is crucial in prosthetic orthopedic applications. When in service, there is a likelihood of loosening of the implant-bone interface which can result in loss of mechanical rigidity and stress concentration in the vicinity of the bone and the implant. Hence, noninvasive techniques are necessary to assess the bond quality in orthopedic implants. The purpose of the present work was to investigate the bond quality in a hip bone with a steel implant, using the acousto-ultrasonics technique in which two methods — acoustic emission and ultrasonics are used in combination. The acousto-ultrasonic technique was found to be sensitive to a loose joint when compared to a good one, indicating variation in terms of the ringdown counts and energy content of the acoustic emission events.
