Influence of material heterogeneity on the mechanical response of articulated cartilages in a knee joint

Abstract

Structurally, the articular cartilages are heterogeneous owing to nonuniform distribution and orientation of its constituents. The oversimplification of this soft tissue as a homogeneous material is generally considered in the simulation domain to estimate contact pressure along with other physical responses. Hence, there is a need for investigating knee cartilages for their actual response to external stimuli. In this article, impact of material and geometrical heterogeneity of the cartilage is resolved using well known material models. The findings are compared with conventional homogeneous models. The results indicate vital differences in contact pressure distribution and tissue deformation. Further, this study paves way for standardizing material models to extract maximum information possible for investigating knee mechanics with variable geometry and case specific parameters.