We investigated the stresses and kinematics of a total knee replacement during the duty cycle of a knee simulator. Finite element models were constructed of the tibial and the femoral component of a commercially available cruciate retaining total knee replacement. Time dependent flexion/extension, axial loading, and anterior/posterior loading were applied to the components of the arthroplasty to match those generated by the knee simulator. We evaluated the effect of varying the stiffness of a spring-loaded bumper system for anterior-posterior constraint on the joint kinematics as well as on the stresses within the polyethylene tibial component. Both the joint kinematics and the stresses and strains subjected to the polyethylene tibial component, were found to be comparatively insensitive to the stiffness of the spring bumper system for this design. When the stiffness of the bumper system was increased by two orders of magnitude, the maximum contact stresses, von Mises stresses, and von Mises strains in the polyethylene tibial component varied by only 15 to 59 percent. In general, increasing the stiffness of the bumper system decreased the displacements of the base plate, but the relationships were nonlinear, possibly due to the added constraints imposed by the tibiofemoral contact interaction. The long-term goal of this research is to develop a validated structural model to predict the stresses, kinematics, and ultimately, the wear, of total joint replacement components in a contemporary knee joint simulator.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
October 2001
Technical Papers
Total Knee Replacement Polyethylene Stresses During Loading in a Knee Simulator
Virginia L. Giddings,
Virginia L. Giddings
Exponent, Inc., 149 Commonwealth Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Search for other works by this author on:
Steven M. Kurtz,
Steven M. Kurtz
Exponent, Inc., 149 Commonwealth Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Search for other works by this author on:
Avram A. Edidin
Avram A. Edidin
Howmedica Osteonics Corp., 59 Route 17, Allendale, NJ 07401
Search for other works by this author on:
Virginia L. Giddings
Exponent, Inc., 149 Commonwealth Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Steven M. Kurtz
Exponent, Inc., 149 Commonwealth Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Avram A. Edidin
Howmedica Osteonics Corp., 59 Route 17, Allendale, NJ 07401
Contributed by the Tribology Division for publication in the ASME JOURNAL OF TRIBOLOGY. Manuscript received by the Tribology Division February 15, 2000; revised manuscript received August 31, 2000. Associate Editor: J. A. Williams.
J. Tribol. Oct 2001, 123(4): 842-847 (6 pages)
Published Online: August 31, 2000
Article history
Received:
February 15, 2000
Revised:
August 31, 2000
Citation
Giddings , V. L., Kurtz, S. M., and Edidin, A. A. (August 31, 2000). "Total Knee Replacement Polyethylene Stresses During Loading in a Knee Simulator ." ASME. J. Tribol. October 2001; 123(4): 842–847. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1330735
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Static Characteristics of Hybrid Water-Lubricated Herringbone Groove Journal Bearing
J. Tribol (April 2025)
Related Articles
Human Joint Simulation Using LifeMOD Co-Simulation
J. Med. Devices (June,2008)
Comparison of Deformable and Elastic Foundation Finite Element Simulations for Predicting Knee Replacement Mechanics
J Biomech Eng (October,2005)
Three-Dimensional Dynamic Simulation of Total Knee Replacement Motion During a Step-Up Task
J Biomech Eng (December,2001)
Real-Time, In Vivo Measurement of Contact Pressures at a Knee Arthroplasty
J. Med. Devices (June,2009)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Understanding the Problem
Design and Application of the Worm Gear
Accuracy of an Axis
Mechanics of Accuracy in Engineering Design of Machines and Robots Volume I: Nominal Functioning and Geometric Accuracy
Improved Resistance to Wear, Delamination and Posterior Loading Fatigue Damage of Electron Beam Irradiated, Melt-Annealed, Highly Crosslinked UHMWPE Knee Inserts
Crosslinked and Thermally Treated Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene for Joint Replacements