FEA Analysis of a Portable Knee Rehabilitation Device Using Mechanical Loading

Abstract

In this paper, a solid model has been created with CAD software and analyzed with FEA software to obtain the deformed geometry, stress distribution, modal frequencies, temperature distribution, and life expectancy of a knee loading device that will be used in a combined biomedical and mechanical engineering research initiative. The purpose of this device is to mechanically load the end of the long bone of the human leg, causing movement of the fluids within the bone that can stimulate increased growth of bone tissues. This could potentially be used to speed the healing process of bone fractures. The CAD model of the device was constructed in Pro/ENGINEER and then exported to ANSYS Workbench where it was then meshed and solved using the finite element method.