title: A technique for determining prosthetic joint contact areas.
abstract: A technique to determine the contact areas of total joint replacements has been developed. A thin film of petroleum jelly is deposited by the metallic component on the plastic component when load is applied. Fingerprint powder is then used to highlight the petroleum jelly coated area. Experimental data produced using this technique was found to be in good agreement with theoretical predictions.
mesh_terms: D007595:Joint Prosthesis; D008961:Models, Structural