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Abstract Background In-vitro mechanical tests are commonly performed to assess pre-clinically the effect of implant design on the stability of hip endoprostheses. There is no standard protocol for these tests, and the forces applied vary between studies. This study examines the effect of the abductor force with and without application of the anterior-posterior hip contact force in the in-vitro assessment of cementless hip implant stability. Methods Cementless stems (VerSys Fiber Metal) were implanted in twelve composite femurs which were divided into two groups: group 1 (N = 6) was loaded with the hip contact force only, whereas group 2 (N = 6) was additionally subjected to an abductor force. Both groups were subjected to the same cranial-caudal hip contact force component, 2.3 times body weight (BW) and each specimen was subjected to three levels of anterior-posterior hip contact load: 0, -0.1 to 0.3 BW (walking), and -0.1 to 0.6 BW (stair climbing). The implant migration and micromotion relative to the femur was measured using a custom-built system comprised of 6 LVDT sensors. Results Substantially higher implant motion was observed when the anterior-posterior force was 0.6BW compared to the lower anterior-posterior load levels, particularly distally and in retroversion. The abductor load had little effect on implant motion when simulating walking, but resulted in significantly less motion than the hip contact force alone when simulating stair climbing. Conclusions The anterior-posterior component of the hip contact load has a significant effect on the axial motion of the stem relative to the bone. Inclusion of the abductor force had a stabilizing effect on the implant motion when simulating stair climbing.

Controlling voids to minimize the final porosity level is an important concern when processing advanced composite structures. In this study, the porosity evolution during processing of partially impregnated prepregs is investigated using interrupted cure cycles and optical microscopy. Laminates made of MTM 45-1/5HS carbon/epoxy prepreg subjected to different cure cycles, bagging conditions, and humidity levels were studied. Fiber tow geometry and gas permeability were measured to determine the amount of compaction and the interconnectivity of unsaturated zones in the laminates. Three types of voids were identified: inter-laminar, fiber tow and resin voids, all with different origins and evolution patterns. It is shown that gas transport (both in-plane and through-thickness), fiber bed compaction, and resin infiltration govern void evolution during processing. The results provide insights for development of representative transport models and to optimize processing cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Void characterization and porosity measurements of uncured and partially cured carbon/epoxy prepregs are challenging due to the soft nature of the matrix. If samples need to be cut from a larger laminate, the act of cutting and polishing can alter the void morphology. This paper presents a method to prepare samples for optical microscopy by infiltrating the pore space in the soft prepreg with a room-temperature curing low-viscosity resin to support the structure during cutting and polishing in preparation for optical microscopy. The methodology is validated by comparison with results obtained from porosity measurements using the ASTM D2734 standard density method. The paper also explores the use of thickness measurements to determine porosity. It is shown that thickness measurements can be used to estimate porosity for the no-bleed out-of-autoclave prepreg system used in the present study but that the accuracy is lower than using microscopy or density methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In-vitro mechanical tests are commonly performed to assess pre-clinically the effect of implant design on the stability of hip endoprostheses. There is no standard protocol for these tests, and the forces applied vary between studies. This study examines the effect of the abductor force with and without application of the anteriorposterior hip contact force in the in-vitro assessment of cementless hip implant stability. Methods: Cementless stems (VerSys Fiber Metal) were implanted in twelve composite femurs which were divided into two groups: group 1 (N = 6) was loaded with the hip contact force only, whereas group 2 (N = 6) was additionally subjected to an abductor force. Both groups were subjected to the same cranial-caudal hip contact force component, 2.3 times body weight (BW) and each specimen was subjected to three levels of anterior-posterior hip contact load: 0, -0.1 to 0.3 BW (walking), and -0.1 to 0.6 BW (stair climbing). The implant migration and micromotion relative to the femur was measured using a custom-built system comprised of 6 LVDT sensors. Results: Substantially higher implant motion was observed when the anterior-posterior force was 0.6BW compared to the lower anterior-posterior load levels, particularly distally and in retroversion. The abductor load had little effect on implant motion when simulating walking, but resulted in significantly less motion than the hip contact force alone when simulating stair climbing. Conclusions: The anterior-posterior component of the hip contact load has a significant effect on the axial motion of the stem relative to the bone. Inclusion of the abductor force had a stabilizing effect on the implant motion when simulating stair climbing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]