Non-destructive examination of additive manufactured acetabular hip prosthesis cups

The application of Additive Manufacturing (AM) in medicine is extensive with the production of anatomical models, endoprosthetics, surgical guides, implants and scaffold implants. This is due to its design flexibility and cost effectiveness when geometrical complexity is required. Total hip arthroplasty is a common surgical procedure with a prevalence increase of 0.72% in 20 years that it is expected to grow faster in the next decades. The work presented demonstrates a novel non-destructive, non-contact examination method utilising X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) and image processing. This method examines an AM bone-mimetic structure that enhances bone ingrowth and implant fixation of acetabular hip prosthesis cups. The results of the image processing analysis include information on the interconnectivity of the bone-mimetic structure, local thickness and spatial distribution.