Cartilage Simulation Using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

Abnormal bone growth in the hip joint causing increased stress during motion is a condition known as Femoral Acetabular Impingement (FAI). FAI is considered to be a primary cause of osteoarthritis in this joint due to wear of articular cartilage. A computer simulation for preoperative evaluation of FAI requires the representation of cartilage for accurate force and stress determination, but current methodologies such as the finite element method (FEM) do not simultaneously provide both the accuracy and the computational speed necessary for such a representation. In this thesis, a fast and accurate simulation of articular cartilage is proposed using adaptations of previous research and unique extensions to the method of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). Strong correlation is found between simulations of compression and indentation experiments of cartilage with previously published experimental results, with simulations operating in excess of real-time rates.