Finite Element Analysis of In Vivo Radiocarpal Contact Mechanics Resulting From Scapholunate Ligament Injury

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua E. Johnson ◽  
Phil Lee ◽  
Terence E. McIff ◽  
E. Bruce Toby ◽  
Kenneth J. Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Contact Mechanics ◽  
Contact Forces ◽  
Computational Method ◽  
Ligament Injury ◽  
Joint Mechanics ◽  
Interosseous Ligament ◽  
Radiocarpal Joint ◽  
Contact Pressures

Secondary osteoarthritis (OA) as a result of joint injury is a significant problem. For the wrist in particular, scapholunate dissociation, resulting from injury to the scapholunate interosseous ligament (SLIL), is a commonly occurring pathology. SLIL tears can lead to scapholunate joint instability due to abnormal motion and load transfer through multiple carpal joints. If left untreated, SLIL injury has been known to progress to scapholunate advanced collapse (or SLAC wrist) with radiocarpal OA [1]. While the pathomechanics leading to the onset of OA are not clearly understood, changes in kinematics and contact mechanics with injury are believed to be causative factors. Of particular importance are joint contact pressures and pressure distributions, which are considered to be important mechanical factors. Comparing changes in joint mechanics between normal and injured wrists may help us better understand the progression of OA and improve the efficacy of corrective measures. Several techniques exist to evaluate joint mechanics. Of these, 3D image-based computational modeling is very useful to determine in vivo joint mechanics. Finite element modeling (FEM) is the most common and widely used computational method because of the ability to obtain 3D stresses and strains, and due to software availability. Therefore the objective of this study was to compare radiocarpal joint mechanics (contact forces, contact areas, contact locations, peak and average contact pressures) from FEM between normal and injured wrists. We hypothesized that peak contact pressures and average contact pressures would be higher in the injured wrists.

Effects of Surgical Repair or Reconstruction on Radiocarpal Mechanics From Wrists With Scapholunate Injury

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua E. Johnson ◽  
Sang-Pil Lee ◽  
Terence E. McIff ◽  
E. Bruce Toby ◽  
Kenneth J. Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Contact Forces ◽  
Joint Mechanics ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
Radiocarpal Joint ◽  
Joint Contact ◽  
Ligament Disruption ◽  
Joint Contact Pressure ◽  
Contact Pressures

Scapholunate dissociation (SL ligament disruption) due to trauma can cause changes in joint kinematics and contact patterns, which can lead to scapholunate advanced collapse (SLAC wrist) with secondary radiocarpal osteoarthritis (OA) [1]. The relationship between consequent abnormal mechanics and the onset of OA is not clearly understood, however elevated joint contact pressure is believed to be an associated factor. Knowing how injuries affect joint physiology and mechanics and how well surgical repairs restore the mechanics may improve surgical efficacy and help predict OA risk. Recently a method was proposed to measure joint contact mechanics from in vivo imaging data during functional loading [2]. The objective of this study was to compare radiocarpal joint mechanics (contact forces, contact areas, peak and average contact pressures) of injured and post-operative wrists to contralateral controls using MRI-based contact modeling. We hypothesized that average contact pressures and peak contact pressures would be higher in the injured wrists, and that these measures would decrease post-operatively.

Comparison of Normal Capitate Mid-Carpal Joint Mechanics With the Effects of Scapholunate Dissociation Injury

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madhan Sai Kallem ◽  
Sang-Pil Lee ◽  
Terence E. McIff ◽  
E. Bruce Toby ◽  
Kenneth J. Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Contact Mechanics ◽  
Surgical Techniques ◽  
Ligament Injury ◽  
Joint Mechanics ◽  
Scapholunate Dissociation ◽  
Carpal Collapse ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
Carpal Joint ◽  
Slac Wrist

The wrist is one of the most complicated multibody joints in the human body. It can be subject to many injuries. Scapholunate (SL) dissociation is a relatively common injury that is particularly difficult to diagnose and treat. Without treatment, SL dissociation is known to progress to scapholunate advance collapse (SLAC wrist) and associated osteoarthritis (OA) [1]. Traumatic arthropathy of the wrist due to scapholunate dissociation has a definitive pattern from onset to severe bone and joint degeneration. The altered radiocarpal and SL mechanics with SL dissociation may be accompanied by a secondary carpal collapse between the capitate and lunate [2]. The initial SL disruption causes apparent changes in joint kinematics and contact patterns. Thus, understanding normal and abnormal in vivo contact mechanics as a result of SL ligament injury may lead to more effective treatments that may even prevent the onset of OA. In addition, in vivo contact mechanics data after surgical treatment may help determine the effectiveness of various surgical techniques which are used to correct SL injury.

Elevated Joint Contact Forces in ACL-Reconstructed Knees: A Finite Element Analysis Driven by In Vivo Kinematic Data

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Papaioannou ◽  
William Anderst ◽  
Scott Tashman
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Knee Kinematics ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Contact Forces ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Human Cartilage ◽  
Joint Contact ◽  
Contact Pressures

Assessment of in vivo human cartilage loading generally requires computer modeling, since loads usually cannot be directly measured. The utility of these models for assessing knee behavior during complex activities has been limited by the relatively poor quality of experimental data on in vivo knee function. We have developed a method combining high-accuracy knee kinematics (from high-speed stereo-radiography) with subject-specific finite-element models to estimate in vivo cartilage contact pressures during stressful tasks. When applied to ACL reconstruction, significantly higher contact pressures were found in reconstructed knees as compared to the contralateral (uninjured) knees of the same individuals.

Computationally Efficient Finite Element Evaluation of Natural Patellofemoral Mechanics

2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare K. Fitzpatrick ◽  
Mark A. Baldwin ◽  
Paul J. Rullkoetter
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Rigid Body ◽  
Contact Mechanics ◽  
Contact Area ◽  
Probabilistic Methods ◽  
Computationally Efficient ◽  
Subject Specific ◽  
Contact Pressures

Finite element methods have been applied to evaluate in vivo joint behavior, new devices, and surgical techniques but have typically been applied to a small or single subject cohort. Anatomic variability necessitates the use of many subject-specific models or probabilistic methods in order to adequately evaluate a device or procedure for a population. However, a fully deformable finite element model can be computationally expensive, prohibiting large multisubject or probabilistic analyses. The aim of this study was to develop a group of subject-specific models of the patellofemoral joint and evaluate trade-offs in analysis time and accuracy with fully deformable and rigid body articular cartilage representations. Finite element models of eight subjects were used to tune a pressure-overclosure relationship during a simulated deep flexion cycle. Patellofemoral kinematics and contact mechanics were evaluated and compared between a fully deformable and a rigid body analysis. Additional eight subjects were used to determine the validity of the rigid body pressure-overclosure relationship as a subject-independent parameter. There was good agreement in predicted kinematics and contact mechanics between deformable and rigid analyses for both the tuned and test groups. Root mean square differences in kinematics were less than 0.5 deg and 0.2 mm for both groups throughout flexion. Differences in contact area and peak and average contact pressures averaged 5.4%, 9.6%, and 3.8%, respectively, for the tuned group and 6.9%, 13.1%, and 6.4%, respectively, for the test group, with no significant differences between the two groups. There was a 95% reduction in computational time with the rigid body analysis as compared with the deformable analysis. The tuned pressure-overclosure relationship derived from the patellofemoral analysis was also applied to tibiofemoral (TF) articular cartilage in a group of eight subjects. Differences in contact area and peak and average contact pressures averaged 8.3%, 11.2%, and 5.7% between rigid and deformable analyses in the tibiofemoral joint. As statistical, probabilistic, and optimization techniques can require hundreds to thousands of analyses, a viable platform is crucial to component evaluation or clinical applications. The computationally efficient rigid body platform described in this study may be integrated with statistical and probabilistic methods and has potential clinical application in understanding in vivo joint mechanics on a subject-specific or population basis.

scholarly journals Computationally Efficient Magnetic Resonance Imaging Based Surface Contact Modeling as a Tool to Evaluate Joint Injuries and Outcomes of Surgical Interventions Compared to Finite Element Modeling

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua E. Johnson ◽  
Phil Lee ◽  
Terence E. McIff ◽  
E. Bruce Toby ◽  
Kenneth J. Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Finite Element Modeling ◽  
Joint Mechanics ◽  
Computationally Efficient ◽  
Efficient Manner ◽  
Element Modeling ◽  
Joint Injuries ◽  
Surface Contact ◽  
Joint Contact ◽  
Contact Pressures

Joint injuries and the resulting posttraumatic osteoarthritis (OA) are a significant problem. There is still a need for tools to evaluate joint injuries, their effect on joint mechanics, and the relationship between altered mechanics and OA. Better understanding of injuries and their relationship to OA may aid in the development or refinement of treatment methods. This may be partially achieved by monitoring changes in joint mechanics that are a direct consequence of injury. Techniques such as image-based finite element modeling can provide in vivo joint mechanics data but can also be laborious and computationally expensive. Alternate modeling techniques that can provide similar results in a computationally efficient manner are an attractive prospect. It is likely possible to estimate risk of OA due to injury from surface contact mechanics data alone. The objective of this study was to compare joint contact mechanics from image-based surface contact modeling (SCM) and finite element modeling (FEM) in normal, injured (scapholunate ligament tear), and surgically repaired radiocarpal joints. Since FEM is accepted as the gold standard to evaluate joint contact stresses, our assumption was that results obtained using this method would accurately represent the true value. Magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the normal, injured, and postoperative wrists of three subjects were acquired when relaxed and during functional grasp. Surface and volumetric models of the radiolunate and radioscaphoid articulations were constructed from the relaxed images for SCM and FEM analyses, respectively. Kinematic boundary conditions were acquired from image registration between the relaxed and grasp images. For the SCM technique, a linear contact relationship was used to estimate contact outcomes based on interactions of the rigid articular surfaces in contact. For FEM, a pressure-overclosure relationship was used to estimate outcomes based on deformable body contact interactions. The SCM technique was able to evaluate variations in contact outcomes arising from scapholunate ligament injury and also the effects of surgical repair, with similar accuracy to the FEM gold standard. At least 80% of contact forces, peak contact pressures, mean contact pressures and contact areas from SCM were within 10 N, 0.5 MPa, 0.2 MPa, and 15 mm2, respectively, of the results from FEM, regardless of the state of the wrist. Depending on the application, the MRI-based SCM technique has the potential to provide clinically relevant subject-specific results in a computationally efficient manner compared to FEM.

Development and Verification of a Dynamic TKR Model

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason P. Halloran ◽  
Anthony J. Petrella ◽  
Paul J. Rullkoetter
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Contact Mechanics ◽  
Dynamic Loading ◽  
Soft Tissues ◽  
Dynamic Models ◽  
Total Joint Replacement ◽  
Fe Model ◽  
Loading Conditions ◽  
Dynamic Loading Conditions

The success of current total knee replacement (TKR) devices is contingent on the kinematics and contact mechanics during in vivo activity. Indicators of potential clinical performance of total joint replacement devices include contact stress and area due to articulations, and tibio-femoral and patello-femoral kinematics. An effective way of evaluating these parameters during the design phase or before clinical use is via computationally efficient computer models. Previous finite element (FE) knee models have generally been used to determine contact stresses and/or areas during static or quasi-static loading conditions. The majority of knee models intended to predict relative kinematics have not been able to determine contact mechanics simultaneously. Recently, however, explicit dynamic finite element methods have been used to develop dynamic models of TKR able to efficiently determine joint and contact mechanics during dynamic loading conditions [1,2]. The objective of this research was to develop and validate an explicit FE model of a TKR which includes tibio-femoral and patello-femoral articulations and surrounding soft tissues. The six degree-of-freedom kinematics, kinetics and polyethylene contact mechanics during dynamic loading conditions were then predicted during gait simulation.

Contact patterns in the ankle joint after lateral ligamentous injury during internal rotation: A computational study

2020 ◽  
Vol 235 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-88
Author(s):  
G Marta ◽  
C Quental ◽  
J Folgado ◽  
F Guerra-Pinto
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Contact Mechanics ◽  
Internal Rotation ◽  
Ankle Joint ◽  
Ankle Instability ◽  
Computational Study ◽  
Rotational Instability ◽  
Anterior Talofibular Ligament ◽  
Maximum Contact ◽  
Contact Pressures

Lateral ankle instability, resulting from the inability of ankle ligaments to heal after injury, is believed to cause a change in the articular contact mechanics that may promote cartilage degeneration. Considering that lateral ligaments’ insufficiency has been related to rotational instability of the talus, and that few studies have addressed the contact mechanics under this condition, the aim of this work was to evaluate if a purely rotational ankle instability could cause non-physiological changes in contact pressures in the ankle joint cartilages using the finite element method. A finite element model of a healthy ankle joint, including bones, cartilages and nine ligaments, was developed. Pure internal talus rotations of 3.67°, 9.6° and 13.43°, measured experimentally for three ligamentous configurations, were applied. The ligamentous configurations consisted in a healthy condition, an injured condition in which the anterior talofibular ligament was cut, and an injured condition in which the anterior talofibular and calcaneofibular ligaments were cut. For all simulations, the contact areas and maximum contact pressures were evaluated for each cartilage. The results showed not only an increase of the maximum contact pressures in the ankle cartilages, but also novel contact regions at the anteromedial and posterolateral sections of the talar cartilage with increasing internal rotation. The anteromedial and posterolateral contact regions observed due to pathological internal rotations of the talus are a computational evidence that supports the link between a pure rotational instability and the pattern of pathological cartilaginous load seen in patients with long-term lateral chronic ankle instability.

Development and Evaluation of a Subject-Specific Lower Limb Model With an Eleven-Degrees-of-Freedom Natural Knee Model Using Magnetic Resonance and Biplanar X-Ray Imaging During a Quasi-Static Lunge

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Leandro Dejtiar ◽  
Christine Mary Dzialo ◽  
Peter Heide Pedersen ◽  
Kenneth Krogh Jensen ◽  
Martin Kokholm Fleron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Knee Joint ◽  
Joint Model ◽  
Joint Kinematics ◽  
Contact Forces ◽  
Joint Mechanics ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Knee Mechanics ◽  
Subject Specific

Abstract Musculoskeletal (MS) models can be used to study the muscle, ligament, and joint mechanics of natural knees. However, models that both capture subject-specific geometry and contain a detailed joint model do not currently exist. This study aims to first develop magnetic resonance image (MRI)-based subject-specific models with a detailed natural knee joint capable of simultaneously estimating in vivo ligament, muscle, tibiofemoral (TF), and patellofemoral (PF) joint contact forces and secondary joint kinematics. Then, to evaluate the models, the predicted secondary joint kinematics were compared to in vivo joint kinematics extracted from biplanar X-ray images (acquired using slot scanning technology) during a quasi-static lunge. To construct the models, bone, ligament, and cartilage structures were segmented from MRI scans of four subjects. The models were then used to simulate lunges based on motion capture and force place data. Accurate estimates of TF secondary joint kinematics and PF translations were found: translations were predicted with a mean difference (MD) and standard error (SE) of 2.13 ± 0.22 mm between all trials and measures, while rotations had a MD ± SE of 8.57 ± 0.63 deg. Ligament and contact forces were also reported. The presented modeling workflow and the resulting knee joint model have potential to aid in the understanding of subject-specific biomechanics and simulating the effects of surgical treatment and/or external devices on functional knee mechanics on an individual level.

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