Abstract
The design and manufacturing of medical implants constitutes an active and highly important field of research, both from a medical and an engineering point of view. From an engineering aspect, the machining of implants is undoubtedly challenging due to the complex shape of the implants and the associated restrictive geometrical and dimensional requirements. Furthermore, it is crucial to ensure that the surface integrity of the implant is not severely affected, in order for the implant to be durable and wear resistant. In the present work, the methodology of designing and machining the femoral component of total knee replacement using a 3-axis Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine is presented, and then, the results of the machining process, as well as the evaluation of implant surface quality are discussed in detail. At first, a preliminary design of the components of the knee implant is performed and the planning for the production of the femoral component is implemented in Computed Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software. Then, three femoral components are machined under different process conditions and the surface quality is evaluated in terms of surface roughness. Analysis of the results indicated the appropriate process conditions for each part of the implant surface and led to the determination of optimum machining strategy for the finishing stage.
Highlights
Partial or total replacement of a human knee with an implant can be achieved by a common surgical procedure, namely knee arthroplasty or knee replacement
A preliminary design of the components of the knee implant is performed and the planning for the production of the femoral component is implemented in Computed Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software
Three femoral components are machined under different process conditions and the surface quality is evaluated in terms of surface roughness
Summary
Partial or total replacement of a human knee with an implant can be achieved by a common surgical procedure, namely knee arthroplasty or knee replacement. One of the main reasons for the popularity of this type of surgery is the considerably high percentage of artificial knees still functioning even 20 years after the surgery During this surgical operation, it is intended to replace damaged or worn components of the knee joint with artificially produced components or implants in order to facilitate proper knee motion of the patients and reduce disability problems and severe pain caused by joint diseases, usually osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. A representative example of knee implant designs of this period is the B-P (Buechel-Pappas) Mark V which was created from Ti alloy with TiN coating or alternatively, from Co–Cr alloy in order to improve its wear resistance [18] During this period, Walker et al [19] introduced a new knee simulating machine with a view to test the kinematics of total knee implants, as well as the wear of these implants. Studies on machining of femoral heads [23,24] and extends the preliminary work on the machining
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