Telemetric force measurements across the hip after total arthroplasty.

A telemeterized total hip prosthesis was implanted in one patient and force-data were obtained. Thirty-one days postoperatively, the magnitude of the joint-contact force during double-limb stance was 1.0 times body weight. During ipsilateral single-limb stance the joint-contact force was 2.1 times body weight, and during the stance phase of gait the peak force typically was 2.6 to 2.8 times body weight, with the resultant force located on the anterosuperior portion of the ball. During stair-climbing, the force was 2.6 times body weight. At peak loads, the angle between the resultant force and the axis of the neck was 30 to 35 degrees and that between the resultant force and the plane of the prosthesis was 20 degrees. During stair-climbing or straight-leg raising, the out-of-plane orientation of the resultant force increased substantially. These data provide information concerning the forces that must be sustained by prosthetic hip joints during a number of common activities of daily living within the first month after implantation. The results also provide insight into the progression of early recovery and demonstrate the variety of forces that are generated during this period.