Crack Detection by Wavelet-Based Acoustic Emission Test In Vitro Cemented Implant

What is it about?

One the mechanisms of failure in total hip arthroplasty in cemented prosthesis is cement fatigue. The main objective of this work is to use Acoustic Emission (AE) as a non-destructive and non-intrusive monitoring test in a cemented prosthesis. The femoral component was sinusoidally loading in a fatigue machine. Experimental data collected during acoustic emission test was treated and analysed by Wavelet Transform and allowed to locate a crack in cement mantle of femoral component. Other complementary diagnostic tests were used to confirm the existence of a fault (crack). One of them was penetrating liquids in different cut sections of femoral component. The other one was microscopic analysis that allowed observing the existence of a crack which location is pointed out by the results of AE answer. The AE sources locations are situated inside the crack observed in the optical microscope. The Wavelet Transform (WT) AE signals demonstrated the accuracy of damage location in bone cement and thus becoming useful in other orthopedics studies.

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Why is it important?

Acoustic Emission (AE), Burst, Crack, Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA), Wavelet Transform (WT)