Effect of Impact Velocity, Flooring Material, and Trochanteric Soft-Tissue Quality on Acetabular Fracture during a Sideways Fall: A Parametric Finite Element Approach

Abstract

A low-energy acetabular fracture, as a result of falling from standing height, is common among elderly patients and the number of cases is increasing rapidly in developed countries. Several biomechanical factors contribute to the incidence, severity, and type of acetabular fractures, such as body configuration at the impact moment or bone and soft-tissue quality. The current parametric study developed a comprehensive finite element model of the pelvic girdle and simple representation of the whole body and investigated the effects of impact velocity, conventional indoor/outdoor flooring material, and trochanteric soft-tissue stiffness on an acetabular fracture. Our results show that whereas the impact velocity has a substantial influence on the incidence and type of acetabular fracture, the effects of conventional flooring materials and trochanteric soft-tissue quality are not remarkable. It seems that other factors such as the quality of bone (healthy vs. osteoporotic), the thickness of trochanteric soft-tissue, and body configuration at the impact are more critical in the occurrence and type of the acetabular fracture. These results can be valuable in the prevention of acetabular fractures and the design of protective measures such as hip pads or novel flooring materials.