Abstract 38

A VALIDATED SUBJECT-SPECIFIC MODEL OF THE HUMAN KNEE JOINT

Dabirrahmani, D; Gillies, RM; Turner, AWL; Walsh, WR

Surgical and Orthopaedic Research Laboratories, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Validated finite element (FE) models are invaluable tools for obtaining mechanical behaviour of structures, where it may otherwise be difficult or impossible to acquire. Their application is vast and their development is ever increasing.

A subject-specific FE model of a human knee was developed using CT and MR images of a cadaveric leg. Images were segmented and transformed into the correct coordinate system using Amira (Indeed Visual Concepts, Berlin).

The knee model comprises the femur and tibia and soft-tissue components of the knee including the articular cartilages, menisci and ligaments (cruciate and collateral). The boney structures were modeled as rigid bodies and the cartilages and menisci were represented by 10-noded tetrahedral elements. Ligaments were modeled as nonlinear spring elements. Passive knee motion was initiated by applying a small load to the femur, with the tibia constrained in all directions. Pre-processing was undertaken in MSC Patran (MSC Software Corp., Santa Ana, CA) and the analysis was computed using ABAQUS (Abaqus, Inc., Pawtucket, RI).

The model was validated using 3D coordinate data obtained using an electromagnetic tracking device from the cadaver under various flexion angles.

Finite element modeling plays an important role in the biomechanics discipline. Development of such computer models allows simulation of real-life mechanical behaviour. This can potentially aid in the clinical field as a predictive tool.

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