Effect of surface texturing on the performance of artificial hip joint for Muslim prayer (Salat) activity

Abstract

Currently, the artificial hip joint is the best option for total hip arthroplasty, and the demand for this procedure is increasing annually. However, a major deficiency of artificial hip joints is the performance limitation in a wide range of movements, such as those in Muslim prayer (salat), a major religious practice that consists of seven positions representing extreme movements. In this work, a numerical examination is conducted to investigate the performance of artificial hip joints with three texture configurations and with two different ball materials subjected to seven loading conditions of Muslim prayer (salat). Transient non-Newtonian elastohydrodynamic lubrication analyses are solved using the two-way Fluid–Structure Interaction (FSI) method. It is found that the femoral head and the inner liner with a pattern applied to the whole of their contacted surface show a substantial increase in load support when compared with the smooth one; the improvement is approximately 11% and 13%, respectively, for the movement of sitting between two prostrations for left leg, and the bowing position. Furthermore, slight increase in fluid pressure and load support is highlighted compared with the models in which only the liner or head are textured. In addition, the simulation solution shows that for other loading positions, the textured model reveals a reduction in performance. The amount of load support in prostration, sitting between two prostrations (right leg), and sitting (right leg) positions is insufficient, which may lead to direct contact. The simulation results also indicate that the alumina femoral head gives better result compared to the stainless steel one.