Lab 3: COMSOL

Mackenzie Andrews

Figure Generation
The figures below show approximated models of hip implants generated using COMSOL. Two types of implants
(cylindrical and conical) were modeled in an annulus shaped femur. The implants were given the meterial characteristics
of titanium while the femur was given the meterial characteristics of bone (American Red Oak with modified Young’s
Modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and density). A load of 338 Newton’s was placed on the top surface of each implant while the
bottom surface of the femur was fixed in place. The figures below show three different analysis of the load on the
implant and femur (Z Component of Stress Tensor, R Componenet of Displacement, and RZ Componenet of Strain).

Each figure contains four images taken from the analysis done in COMSOL. The top two images of each figure show the
analysis graphic for the cylindrical implant, the bottom two images show the graphic for the conical implant. The left
images in each figure are the 3-D representation generated when the 2-D slice depicted on the right is rotated around
the z-axis.
Stress Tensor, Z Component

The top two images show the z-componenet of stress for the cylindrical implant. The maximum values of stress were
-1.3 MPa on the implant directly above the edge of the femur (10, 94.6), -1.1 MPa on the bottom corner of the implant
next to the femur (10, 37.3), and 220 kPa on the bottom surface of the implant (6, 35.4).

The bottom two images show the z-componenet of stress for the conical implant. The maximum values of stress were
460 kPa on the inmplant directly below where it is in contact with the femur (9.7, 72.7) and -820 kPa on the femur
directly below the contact point with the implant (10.1, 72.8).

The maximum stress in the z direction was observed in the cylindrical implant. Since the conical implant has an r-
componenet to it’s load interaction on the femur, more of the load is displaced in the r-direction causing the z-
component of strain to be reduced.
Displacement Field, R Component

The top two images show the r-componenet of displacmenet for the cylindrical implant. The maximum value of
displacement was .16 mm on the outer edge of the femur (20.6, 28) (depicted in dark red).

The bottom two images show the r-componenet of displacement for the conical implant. The maximum value of
displacement was also .16 mm, but was located farther up the femur (20.4, 65.6).

While the maximal values for both are almost equal, the displacement for the conical implant is spread across a larger
region down the femur. Also, as conjecture, since the femur is tapered in reality (larger at the top) the top of the femur
may actually have less displacement due to the conical implant than our representation would suggest.
Strain Tensor, RZ Component

The top two images show the rz-component of strain for the cylindircal implant. The maximum values of strain were
1.7E-5 at the bottom corner of the implant against the femur (10, 40) and -3.2E-6 at the inside bottom corner of the
bone (10, 0).

The bottom two images show the rz-componenet of strain for the conical implant. The maximum values of strain were
2.2E-5 in the femur interface to the implant (10.3, 74.4) and -3.0E-6 at the inside bottom corner of the bone (10, 0).

Since strain is deformation divided by the orriginal size, the fact that the strain at the bottom of the bones is the same
makes sense because the bones in both cases are the same size and experiencing the same amount of load. As discussed
similarly with regaurd to displacment, the actual femur is larger at the top, so the deformation by the conical implant
may actually be a lesser percentage of original width than approximated, making the actual strain smaller.