Alterations in Stresses due to Various Femoral Deformities Across the Hip Joint: FEA Analysis

The manifestation of osteoarthrosis by an abnormality such as hip dysplasia, slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE), coxa vara and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is one of the leading causes of chronic orthopaedic disability, resulting in billions of dollars in treatment and indirect costs, such as lost wages for the patient [1]. Additionally, these conditions are severely painful, inducing a reduction in range of motion, abnormal gait and consequently, poor quality of life. In patients with SCFE, the proximal femur collapses as a result of epiphyseal displacement, resulting in femoroacetabular impingement and acetabular erosion [1, 2]. Patients with developmental coxa vara (DCV), a pediatric hip disorder, exhibit triplanar deformity of the proximal femur. The abnormal neck–shaft angle and associated change in the articulo-trochanteric distance (ATD) alter the biomechanics of the hip adversely, and is often accompanied by limb length discrepancies [3].