Influence of Congruency Design on the Contact Stress of a Novel Hinged Knee Prosthesis Using Finite Element Analysis

Influence of posterior cruciate ligament tension on tibiofemoral and patellofemoral joint contact mechanics in cruciate-retaining total knee replacement: a combined musculoskeletal multibody and finite-element simulation

The influence of posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tension on the clinical outcome of cruciate-retaining total knee replacement (CR-TKR) remains controversial. Various numerical approaches have been used to study this influence systematically, but the models used are limited by certain assumptions and simplifications. Therefore, the objective of this computational study was to develop a combined musculoskeletal multibody and finite-element simulation during a squat motion to 90° knee flexion with a CR-TKR design to overcome previous limitations regarding model inputs. In addition, different PCL tensions (tight, lax, resected) were modeled and the influence on tibiofemoral and resurfaced patellofemoral joint dynamics and contact stresses was evaluated. The effect of the PCL on knee joint dynamics and contact stresses was more pronounced at higher flexion angles. Tibiofemoral joint dynamics were influenced and a tight PCL induced increased posterior femoral translation during flexion. The maximum contact stress in the tibial insert increased from 20.6 MPa to 22.5 MPa for the resected and tightest PCL at 90° knee flexion. Patellofemoral joint dynamics were only slightly affected by PCL tension. However, the maximum contact stress in the patellar component decreased from 58.0 MPa to 53.7 MPa for the resected and tightest PCL at 90° knee flexion. The combination of musculoskeletal multibody and finite-element simulation is a sufficient method to comprehensively investigate knee joint dynamics and contact stresses in CR-TKR. The PCL tension after CR-TKR affects joint dynamics and contact stresses at the articulating implant surfaces.

Spherical center axial hinge knee prosthesis causes lower contact stress on tibial insert and bushing compared with biaxial hinge knee prosthesis

BACKGROUND

Motion axial system may affect contact stress of hinge knee prosthesis. However, it is unclear which axial system provides the better biomechanical effect. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the contact stress and stress distribution on the tibial insert and the bushing of hinge knee prostheses with a biaxial (BA) system and a spherical center axial (SA) system during a gait cycle.

METHODS

Three-dimensional finite-element (FE) models of the prostheses with different motion systems were included. The comparisons between experimental tests and FE analyses were performed to verify the models. Dynamic implicit FE analyses were performed to investigate the peak contact stresses and stress distributions on the tibial insert and the bushing.

RESULTS

The peak contact stresses on the tibial insert and the bushing of the BA prosthesis were higher than those of the SA prosthesis during most gait cycles. The contact time on the bushing is short in the SA prosthesis. The stress distributions on the superior surface of the tibial insert in the BA prosthesis were at the posterior side, but of the SA prosthesis were not fixed.

CONCLUSION

The SA prosthesis has a lower peak contact stress on tibial insert and bushing than the BA prosthesis; in addition, the SA prosthesis has a 'self-adjustment' mechanism which could disperse high stress on the tibial insert to decrease the risk of wear and damage. The comparison could help designers and surgeons to better understand the future design of rotating hinge knee prostheses which should be able to achieve multiaxial motion and complete weight bearing by the tibial condylar to transmit the axial force better.