A numerical investigation into the application of an orthotropic porous structure for a femoral stem manufactured using laser melting technology

This work compares the stress distribution in the periprosthetic cortical bone when implanted with Cobalt Chrome Molybdenum (CoCrMo) stems of varying stiffness configurations. A fully dense CoCrMo stem and a stem with cortical bone properties have been modelled to form a basis for comparison. The effect of orthotropic material behaviour has been investigated using a fully porous orthotropic stem and a graded stem comprising of a 1 mm fully dense CoCrMo outer skin with a porous orthotropic core. The graded orthotropic stem has also been compared with a graded implant with an isotropic core.