Load dispersion effects of acetabular reinforcement devices used in revision total hip arthroplasty: a simulation study using finite element analysis.

Several types of acetabular reinforcement devices are used to prevent the collapse of grafted bone in revision total hip arthroplasty. However, it remains unclear how the stress is reduced by different devices. We used finite element analysis to evaluate 4 types of acetabular reinforcement devices: Kerboull-type device, Burch-Schneider anti-protrusio cage, Mueller ring, and Ganz ring. The control was a socket fixed with bone cement without any reinforcement devices. The stress distribution on the inner surface of each socket was calculated by binarization image processing. For all 4 reinforcement devices, the stress was reduced to less than one-half of that in the control. All the devices were useful for preventing the collapse of bulk bone grafts applied to load-bearing defects.