Mechanical Stress Patterns in the Human Proximal Tibial Growth Plate During the Stance Phase of Normal Gait

Abstract

Since the mid 1800’s clinicians and researchers have considered the effect of mechanical stresses on bone growth and the development of growth disorders [1]. However, the specifics of this relationship remain poorly understood. Both clinical and experimental evidence support the concept that magnitude, frequency and duration of loads are critical in defining the response of cartilage to pressures [2, 3]. Yet, the range of physiologic pressures in the growth plate has not been identified, and most models of growing bones have considered single quasi-static loading conditions and/or elastic material models that can not accurately represent time dependence [4, 5]. It was the goal of this study to implement loading conditions representing an entire stance phase of gait in a two-dimensional model of the proximal tibia of a normal child. A poroelastic material model was used in order to identify the variations in growth plate pressures in both time and location, and investigate the potential for fluid flow within the growth plate.