A computational framework for predicting fretting-corrosion synergies at the taper-trunnion interface in total hip arthroplasty

Wear debris and metal ions generated from fretting corrosion at the taper-trunnion interface are significant contributors to the premature failure of total hip arthroplasty, which necessitates preoperative safety assessment for ensuring long-term stability of the implant. Current methodologies exhibit inherent limitations in quantifying the synergistic effects of multi-physics and multi-factor coupling that govern fretting corrosion process at this interface. This study proposed a novel computational framework integrating finite element analysis with tribocorrosion algorithms to predict fretting wear-corrosion synergies at the taper-trunnion interface, thus assessing the effect of prosthesis geometry, surgical technique-related variables, and patient-specific gait kinematics on the long-term stability of the implant. Within this computational approach, a dynamic contact model of hip prosthesis was developed to simulate the surgical taper fixation and its mechanical responses under physiological loads. Concurrently, the progressive evolution of taper surface geometry induced by the synergistic action of mechanical wear and corrosion was also simulated, and their respective contributions of both wear mechanisms were quantified. Key parameters of this framework were calibrated via ball-on-disk fretting corrosion tests, and its effectiveness was validated by comparing simulation results with hip joint simulator data. Further investigations revealed that the wear rate of taper-trunnion interface exhibited a parabolic correlation with wear cycles under ISO14242–1, while gait loading maintained a relatively constant wear rate throughout simulation. This considerable difference in wear rate of taper-trunnion interface might be regulated by loading waveform, variation of loading axis, phase difference between loads and motions. Furthermore, the degradation mechanisms of taper-trunnion interface under both loading conditions were predominantly dominated by fretting-induced mechanical wear, with more prominent corrosion-driven wear under walking gait. These findings could provide theoretical foundations for optimizing prosthesis design and surgical protocols, which holds significant implications for improving the survival rate of total hip arthroplasty.