Photoelastic techniques have been used for some time to model the stresses in bones and orthopaedic implants. Such applications of photoelasticity have not been used widely, so their uses and advantages are discussed. Experiments are described using a two dimensional model of a hip prosthesis to examine stresses in varus and valgus orientations. The results show significantly higher stresses at both the medial and lateral boundaries of the prosthesis stem when it is set in a varus position.
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