[The force flow in hip joint-endoprostheses (author's transl)].

The mechanical force flow distribution produced by the hip joint endoprosthesis in the remaining, living femur and its deviation from that of the natural bone have a considerable influence on the quality of the bone-endoprosthesis compound and its duration of life. The loads are calculated for the natural bone as the reference system as well as the compound with conventional endoprostheses and a new type, the Tension-band-Endoprosthesis (R-G). For the calculation the finite element method is used by application of three-dimensional tetrahedron elements. It becomes apparent that in the case of the R-G-Endoprosthesis the induced stresses within the medial range of the remaining bone are far less unphysiological than in the case of the conventional endoprosthesis.