KINEMATIC ANALYSIS AND 3D FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF A MOBILE-BEARING ARTIFICIAL HIGH FLEXION KNEE

Abstract

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been the end-time surgical procedure for pain relief and movement restoration in cases of severe arthritis. The knee implant design plays a vital role in deciding the activity levels of a patient after total knee replacement (TKR). In about 90% of younger patients undergoing the knee replacement surgeries, the restriction is not from the subject but from the implant design. This paper discusses parameters affecting the activity levels after TKR. It also briefs the design aspects of a novel knee design that allows the normal high flexion activity even after TKR. The application of finite element modeling in medical applications has been evolving as the field of high importance especially in the development of medical devices. The TKA has been in existence for over six decades till now. The generic artificial knee implants used in the TKA have the restriction in its range of motion of about 90°. A new design allowing flexion extension range of over 120° was designed with a view to facilitate partial squatting and the same is used for the analysis purpose. The loading conditions of 10 times the body weight are considered. The finite element analyses of the designs were carried out based on standard biomaterial used in orthopedic implants. In this paper, we have discussed the results of analyses of an artificial knee with titanium (Ti) alloy. The results of the analyses were used in identifying areas of extreme stresses within the design and the spot prone for higher deformation. Based on these results, slight modification on the designs was carried out. The results are also verified whether the body is within the linear deformation levels. As the results obtained were very satisfactory, the models have been recommended for prototyping.