Optimizing Acetabular Component Position to Minimize Impingement and Reduce Contact Stress

Component impingement due to poor positioning can limit range of motion after total hip arthroplasty. Contact stresses on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene are also dependent on the orientation of the acetabular component. In this study, a computer kinematic model was used to determine the effects of component position and variation of head:neck ratios on prosthetic impingement and hip range of motion, and a finite element model was employed to calculate polyethylene stresses at different cup positions.