Biomimetic Design of Artificial Hip Joints Inspired by the Surface of Turtle Shells and Armadillo Scales

Abstract:

In order to accommodate the high range of motion (ROM) required for daily activities of Asian populations, such as squatting and kneeling, patients with hip joint diseases require prostheses with a large ROM. However, traditional ceramic-on-ceramic (CoC) hip prostheses have a prominent contradiction: using larger-diameter femoral heads for high flexion significantly increases the risk of ceramic liner fracture. This study draws bionic inspiration from turtle shell morphology. It applies structural bionic design to develop a large-ROM hip prosthesis. A discrete model is built based on turtle shell structure and ceramic size effects. Finite element simulations and tribological experiments are conducted. The results show that a ROM of 142.9° is achieved, the peak stress is only 34.995 MPa (approximately 50% lower than the accepted 70 MPa safety threshold for alumina ceramics), and compared with traditional monolithic prostheses, stress concentration is reduced by 30% and the crack propagation risk by 40%. Structural reliability is ensured by the finite element-optimized geometry and precision-machined ceramic components (Vickers hardness: 2513.2 MPa, surface roughness: Ra ≤ 0.1 μm). This new prosthesis meets patients’ needs, provides references for other joint designs, and enriches the integration of mechanical and bionic design.

• Periodical: Journal of Biomimetics, Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (Volume 73)
• Pages: 133-147
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-m9JxMu
• Online since: July 2026
• Authors: Shan Wei, Xin Xin Zhang*, Zheng Yu Wang, Kaltoum Fouzi, Okala Vincent Carmel, Xiang Li, Jian Ping Wang
• Keywords: Artificial Hip Joint, Biomimetic Design, Discrete Design, Small-Size Effect, Turtle Shell

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