Simulation Analysis of Biomechanical Properties of Knee Joint at Key Moment of Gait Cycle

Abstract

Building accurate model and studying the biomechanical properties of the knee joint is very important for the prevention of knee joint disease, sports injury, and knee joint rehabilitation, and also useful to design and manufacture for personalized knee prosthesis. In this study, the motion capture system and plantar pressure test system were used to collect the data of volunteers in a single gait cycle. The 3D finite element model of the knee joint was reconstructed using MRI scanning images and the finite element numerical simulation was performed. The results show that (1) Maximum stress of medial meniscus, lateral meniscus, ACL and PCL were 9.27MPa, 6.24MPa, 2.06MPa and 2.15MPa, respectively, which were obtained at 50% of a single gait cycle. (2) Maximum stress of MCL and LCL were 0.47MPa and 0.83MPa, respectively, which were obtained at 20% of a single gait cycle. It can be concluded that method proposed in this paper could accurately analyse the biomechanical properties of the knee joint during the gait cycle, and the method for analyzing the limit position of the gait cycle could reflect the variation of the contact stress in knee joint.