Does the surface finish, the taper angle difference and the assembly force effect the taper strength between stem and ball head of a modular hip implant?

TL;DRAbstract

Introduction: Modular hip prostheses are commonly used in total hip replacement operations. The taper connection between stem and ball head gives surgeons the ability to intraoperatively adapt the prosthesis to the patient’s hip joint anatomy. Despite a multitude of advantages modular assemblies bear the risk of micromotions between the adjacent components that may lead to fretting, wear and corrosion and can limit the lifetime of hip implants as observed in clinical applications. This issue seems to be more relevant for large diameter metal on metal bearings since the negative effects might be enhanced due to the higher frictional moments in the interface especially in the case of low lubrication [1]. Although clinical problems are documented, no explicit instruction guidelines to assemble the implant components are currently available. In addition to specific assembly parameters, design specific ones can also influence the local contact situation in taper interfaces. The purpose of t

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