An experimental method for the application of lateral muscle loading and its effect on femoral strain distributions

Experimental models that have been used to evaluate hip loading and the effect of hip implants on bone often use only a head load and abductor load. Anatomic considerations and in vivo measurements have lead several investigators to suggest that these models are inaccurate because they do not incorporate the loads imposed by additional muscles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the strains in the proximal and mid diaphysis of the femur for five hip loading models, one with a head load and abductor load only and four which incorporated lateral muscle loads as well. Head load to body weight load ratios were used to evaluate the physiologic accuracy of these models and strains were compared to determine the extent of strain changes as a function of model complexity. All models which incorporated additional lateral muscle loads more accurately simulated head load to body–weight load ratios than the simple abductor-only model. The model which incorporated a coupled vastus lateralis and iliotibial band load in addition to the abductor load provided the simplest configuration with a reasonable body–weight to head-load ratio.