A global verification study of a quasi-static knee model with multi-bundle ligaments

Abstract

Abstract-The ligaments of the knee consist of fiber bundles with variable orientations, lengths and mechanical properties. In concept, however, these structures were too often seen as homogeneous structures, which are either stretched or slack during knee motions. In previous studies, we proposed a new structural concept of the ligaments of the knee. In this concept, the ligaments were considered as multi-bundle structures, with nonuniform mechanical properties and zero force lengths. The purpose of the present study was to verify this new concept.For this purpose, laxity characteristics of a human knee joint were compared as measured in an experiment and predicted in a model simulation study. In the experiment, the varus-valgus and anterior-posterior laxities of a knee-joint specimen containing the ligaments and the articular surfaces only, were determined. From this knee-joint, geometric and mechanical parameters were derived to supply the parameters for a three-dimensional quasi-static knee-joint model. These parameters included (i) the three-dimensional insertion points of bundles, defined in the four major knee ligaments, (ii) the mechanical properties of these ligament, as functions of their relative insertion orientations and ( From the model-experiment comparisons it was concluded that the proposed structural representations of the ligaments and their mechanical property distributions seem to be valid for studying the anterior-posterior and varus-valgus laxity characteristics of the human knee-joint,

Dynamic finite element knee simulation for evaluation of knee replacement mechanics

“…Sixteen input parameters were included in the optimization: ALC and PFL initial strain and stiffness, localized LCL and sMCL strain (anterior, middle, posterior bundles), LCL and sMCL stiffness (applied to all bundles), and inferior-superior and anterior-posterior LCL and sMCL femoral attachment locations. Strain for each ligament during the optimization was bounded at 74% Arms et al, 1983); stiffness for each ligament was varied within values reported in the literature (Arms et al, 1983;Griffith et al, 2009;Mommersteeg et al, 1996;LaPrade et al, 2004). Although the specimen-specific LCL and MCL tibial and femoral attachment sites were identified through dissection, the fibers carrying load throughout the passive femoral flexion range were unknown and could exist anywhere within the attachment footprint.…”

The lumbar supraspinous ligament demonstrates increased material stiffness and strength on its ventral aspect

“…Gillespie and Dickey (2004) demonstrated this principle in showing that transverse loads from the interspinous ligament significantly increase the stiffness of the SSL. Furthermore, other investigators have demonstrated the necessity of quantifying the inhomogeneous material properties of ligaments in order to accurately determine their physiologic response (Momersteeg et al, 1995;Mommersteeg et al, 1996Mommersteeg et al, , 1997. However, despite these findings, no anisotropic, inhomogeneous, material constitutive data has been reported for the SSL.…”

Explicit finite element modeling of total knee replacement mechanics

“…Engin and Tumer (1993) developed a two-dimensional dynamic model of the knee that included a patella. Blankevoort and Huiskes (1995) and Mommersteeg et al (1996) developed and experimentally verified a threedimensional knee model with surrounding soft tissue. Sathasivam and Walker (1997) developed a rigid body analysis of TKR that reproduced motions found using the Stanmore knee simulator .…”