Finite Element Predictions of Cartilage Mechanics in Normal Hips

Abnormal loading of hip joint articular cartilage is thought to be the primary cause of hip osteoarthritis (OA). This can occur due to anatomical pathologies such as dysplasia and femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Computational methods (e.g., the finite element (FE) method) may be able to predict patient-specific cartilage mechanics using non- or minimally invasive methods. We have shown that a subject-specific finite element model can predict contact pressures that agree well with experimental data [1]. As a necessary precursor to analyzing the contact mechanics of pathological hips, the objective of this study was to quantify variations in the magnitude and spatial distribution of cartilage contact pressures in normal hips using FE models of human volunteers with no history of hip disease.