3-D Distortion Detection of a Support Implant for an Artificial Hip Joint Using a Finite Element Method and a Genetic Algorithm

Abstract

A support implant has been used to reconstruct an artificial hip joint on the acetabulum in revision total hip arthroplasty (THA). After revision THA, we should diagnose periodically form of the support implant because the support implant may be distorted or broken. This paper proposes an in vivo computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system that can evaluate the form of the support implant using a finite element method (FEM) and a genetic algorithm (GA). The proposed method searches for optimum local deformed models using a GA from a local deformed model database. The direction and the strength of the stress for the support implant are required from optimum local deformed models. As a result of applying to simulated MDCT images of horseshoe-shaped phantoms, the proposed method could recognize the correct local deformed models successfully. Additionally, We could obtain the direction and the strength of the stress for horseshoe-shaped phantoms.