Biomechanical Analysis of a New Elbow Prosthesis

Abstract

Total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) is an effective and frequently used treatment for patients with debilitating elbow pathology. Total elbow prostheses have lagged behind those of the knee, hip and shoulder for different reasons, such as the high failure rate of the early designs. Concern remains regarding the longevity of TEA implants, especially in younger patients. The main cause of revision of the implant is usually related to the phenomenon of aseptic loosening mainly due to the cement-bone interface failure. Aim of this work is the biomechanical analysis of a new elbow prosthesis to investigate the mechanical behaviour at the cement-bone interface. For this reason, a musculoskeletal model has been developed by modelling the forces of the muscles and after FEM analyses have been performed. Obtained results confirm the validity of the implemented model and can provide guidelines for surgeons regarding the implant configurations with the aim to reduce the aseptic loosening.