Geometric and Finite Element Modelling of the Tibio-Menisco-Femoral Contact Under Passive Knee Motion

The meniscus is an important component of the knee joint. It transmits a large percentage of the load in the knee, and also helps to stabilize the joint. Several studies have investigated the material properties and mechanical functions of the normal meniscus. However, whether and how meniscal injuries affect the stress and strain distributions inside the meniscus, as well as the motion of the meniscus are not yet well understood. The major objectives of this dissertation were to develop a protocol for reconstructing a subject-specific knee joint from Magnetic Resonance (MR) images, and to use finite element (FE) method to study the biomechanical behavior of the meniscus under passive knee motions.

A three-dimensional FE model of the tibio-menisco-femoral contact area of the knee was developed using solid modeling and hexahedral mesh generation techniques. The geometry was reconstructed from the MR images of a volunteer’s knee joint at full extension. Comparison study found that it is important to model the meniscus as a transversely isotropic (vs. isotropic) poroelastic material to represent the much stiffer fibers in the circumferential direction. Comparison of an axisymmetric model of the contact area and the 3D model under equivalent amount of axial loading found considerable difference between their results.

Six sets of MR images of the knee were acquired from full extension to approximately 25 degrees of flexion without load bearing. The motion of the tibia relative to the femur at each imaging step was derived based on the automatic image processing data and applied to the 3-D FE model. The position of the meniscus predicted by the FE model was then compared to the MR Images and the anteriorposterior excursion of the menisci is around 2.5 mm - 2.9 mm.

A circumferential and an anterior radial tear were created in the normal lateral meniscus model. Increased maximum principal stress around the tear was found in the radial tear model under both axial loading and passive knee flexion. Motion of the centroids of the tom meniscus models showed no difference compared with the centroid of the normal meniscus under passive knee flexion

Year	Entry
1975	Walker PS, Erkman MJ. The role of the menisci in force transmission across the knee. Clin Orthop Relat Res. June 1975;109:184-192.
1990	Kwan MK, Lai WM, Mow VC. A finite deformation theory for cartilage and other soft hydrated connective tissues, I: equilibrium results. J Biomech. 1990;23(2):145-155.
1993	Mow VC, Ateshian GA, Spilker RL. Biomechanics of diarthrodial joints: a review of twenty years of progress. J Biomech Eng. November 1993;115(4B):460-467.
1983	Grood ES, Suntay WJ. A joint coordinate system for the clinical description of three-dimensional motions: application to the knee. J Biomech Eng. May 1983;105(2):136-144.
1998	Wu JZ, Herzog W, Epstein M. Articular joint mechanics with biphasic cartilage layers under dynamic loading. J Biomech Eng. February 1998;120(1):77-84.
1995	Bendjaballah MZ, Shirazi-Adl A, Zukor DJ. Biomechanics of the human knee joint in compression: reconstruction, mesh generation and finite element analysis. Knee. June 1995;2(2):69-79.
1989	Proctor CS, Schmidt MB, Whipple RR, Kelly MA, Mow VC. Material properties of the normal medial bovine meniscus. J Orthop Res. November 1989;7(6):771-782.
1992	Spilker RL, Donzelli PS, Mow VC. A transversely isotropic biphasic finite element model of the meniscus. J Biomech. September 1992;25(9):1027-1045.
1948	Fairbank TJ. Knee joint changes after meniscectomy. J Bone Joint Surg. 1948;30B(4):664-670.
1991	Blankevoort L, Kuiper JH, Huiskes R, Grootenboer HJ. Articular contact in a three-dimensional model of the knee. J Biomech. 1991;24(11):1019-1031.
1992	Lafortune MA, Cavanagh PR, Sommer HJ III, Kalenak A. Three-dimensional kinematics of the human knee during walking. J Biomech. April 1992;25(4):347-357.
1990	Fithian DC, Kelly MA, Mow VC. Material properties and structure-function relationships in the menisci. Clin Orthop Relat Res. March 1990;252:19-31.
1983	Chao EY, Laughman RK, Schneider E, Stauffer RN. Normative data of knee joint motion and ground reaction forces in adult level walking. J Biomech. 1983;16(3):219-233.
1997	Atkinson TS, Haut RC, Altiero NJ. A poroelastic model that predicts some phenomenological responses of ligaments and tendons. J Biomech Eng. August 1997;119(4):400-405.
1995	Tissakht M, Ahmed AM. Tensile stress-strain characteristics of the human meniscal material. J Biomech. April 1995;28(4):411-422.
1980	Mow VC, Kuei SC, Lai WM, Armstrong CG. Biphasic creep and stress relaxation of articular cartilage in compression: theory and experiments. J Biomech Eng. February 1980;102(1):73-84.
1998	Pioletti DP., Rakotomanana LR, Benvenuti J-F, Leyvraz P-F. Viscoelastic constitutive law in large deformations: application to human knee ligaments and tendons. J Biomech. August 1998;31(8):753-757.
1983	Ahmed AM, Burke DL. In-vitro of measurement of static pressure distribution in synovial joints, I: tibial surface of the knee. J Biomech Eng. August 1983;105(3):216-225.
1997	Reinschmidt C, van den Bogert A, Nigg B, Lundberg A, Murphy N. Effect of skin movement on the analysis of skeletal knee joint motion during running. J Biomech. July 1997;30(7):729-732.
1994	Race A, Amis AA. The mechanical properties of the two bundles of the human posterior cruciate ligament. J Biomech. January 1994;27(1):13-24.
1999	Soulhat J, Buschmann MD, Shirazi-Adl A. A fibril-network-reinforced biphasic model of cartilage in unconfined compression. J Biomech Eng. June 1999;121(3):340-347.
1988	Blankevoort L, Huiskes R, de Lange A. The envelope of passive knee joint motion. J Biomech. 1988;21(9):705-720.
1983	Huiskes R, Chao EYS. A survey of finite element analysis in orthopedic biomechanics: the first decade. J Biomech. 1983;16(6):385-409.
1990	Woo SL-Y, Peterson RH, Ohland KJ, Sites TJ, Danto MI. The effects of strain rate on the properties of the medial collateral ligament in skeletally immature and mature rabbits: a biomechanical and histological study. J Orthop Res. September 1990;8(5):712-721.

Year

Entry

1975

Walker PS, Erkman MJ. The role of the menisci in force transmission across the knee. Clin Orthop Relat Res. June 1975;109:184-192.

1990

Kwan MK, Lai WM, Mow VC. A finite deformation theory for cartilage and other soft hydrated connective tissues, I: equilibrium results. J Biomech. 1990;23(2):145-155.

1993

Mow VC, Ateshian GA, Spilker RL. Biomechanics of diarthrodial joints: a review of twenty years of progress. J Biomech Eng. November 1993;115(4B):460-467.

1983

Grood ES, Suntay WJ. A joint coordinate system for the clinical description of three-dimensional motions: application to the knee. J Biomech Eng. May 1983;105(2):136-144.

1998

Wu JZ, Herzog W, Epstein M. Articular joint mechanics with biphasic cartilage layers under dynamic loading. J Biomech Eng. February 1998;120(1):77-84.

1995

Bendjaballah MZ, Shirazi-Adl A, Zukor DJ. Biomechanics of the human knee joint in compression: reconstruction, mesh generation and finite element analysis. Knee. June 1995;2(2):69-79.

1989

Proctor CS, Schmidt MB, Whipple RR, Kelly MA, Mow VC. Material properties of the normal medial bovine meniscus. J Orthop Res. November 1989;7(6):771-782.

1992

Spilker RL, Donzelli PS, Mow VC. A transversely isotropic biphasic finite element model of the meniscus. J Biomech. September 1992;25(9):1027-1045.

1948

Fairbank TJ. Knee joint changes after meniscectomy. J Bone Joint Surg. 1948;30B(4):664-670.

1991

Blankevoort L, Kuiper JH, Huiskes R, Grootenboer HJ. Articular contact in a three-dimensional model of the knee. J Biomech. 1991;24(11):1019-1031.

1992

Lafortune MA, Cavanagh PR, Sommer HJ III, Kalenak A. Three-dimensional kinematics of the human knee during walking. J Biomech. April 1992;25(4):347-357.

1990

Fithian DC, Kelly MA, Mow VC. Material properties and structure-function relationships in the menisci. Clin Orthop Relat Res. March 1990;252:19-31.

1983

Chao EY, Laughman RK, Schneider E, Stauffer RN. Normative data of knee joint motion and ground reaction forces in adult level walking. J Biomech. 1983;16(3):219-233.

1997

Atkinson TS, Haut RC, Altiero NJ. A poroelastic model that predicts some phenomenological responses of ligaments and tendons. J Biomech Eng. August 1997;119(4):400-405.

1995

Tissakht M, Ahmed AM. Tensile stress-strain characteristics of the human meniscal material. J Biomech. April 1995;28(4):411-422.

1980

Mow VC, Kuei SC, Lai WM, Armstrong CG. Biphasic creep and stress relaxation of articular cartilage in compression: theory and experiments. J Biomech Eng. February 1980;102(1):73-84.

1998

Pioletti DP., Rakotomanana LR, Benvenuti J-F, Leyvraz P-F. Viscoelastic constitutive law in large deformations: application to human knee ligaments and tendons. J Biomech. August 1998;31(8):753-757.

1983

Ahmed AM, Burke DL. In-vitro of measurement of static pressure distribution in synovial joints, I: tibial surface of the knee. J Biomech Eng. August 1983;105(3):216-225.

1997

Reinschmidt C, van den Bogert A, Nigg B, Lundberg A, Murphy N. Effect of skin movement on the analysis of skeletal knee joint motion during running. J Biomech. July 1997;30(7):729-732.

1994

Race A, Amis AA. The mechanical properties of the two bundles of the human posterior cruciate ligament. J Biomech. January 1994;27(1):13-24.

1999

Soulhat J, Buschmann MD, Shirazi-Adl A. A fibril-network-reinforced biphasic model of cartilage in unconfined compression. J Biomech Eng. June 1999;121(3):340-347.

1988

Blankevoort L, Huiskes R, de Lange A. The envelope of passive knee joint motion. J Biomech. 1988;21(9):705-720.

1983

Huiskes R, Chao EYS. A survey of finite element analysis in orthopedic biomechanics: the first decade. J Biomech. 1983;16(6):385-409.

1990

Woo SL-Y, Peterson RH, Ohland KJ, Sites TJ, Danto MI. The effects of strain rate on the properties of the medial collateral ligament in skeletally immature and mature rabbits: a biomechanical and histological study. J Orthop Res. September 1990;8(5):712-721.

Year	Entry
2007	Upton ML. Theoretical Predictions and Experimental Measurements of the Micromechanical Environment of Meniscus Cells [PhD thesis]. Duke University; 2007.
2006	Yao J. Finite Element Modeling of the Meniscus in the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Deficient Knee With Magnetic Resonance Imaging Based Experimental Validation [PhD thesis]. University of Rochester; 2006.
2012	Guo H. An Augmented Lagrangian Finite Element Formulation for the Biphasic Contact of Hydrated Soft Tissues in Physiological Joints [PhD thesis]. Troy, NY: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; July 2012.

Year

Entry

2007

Upton ML. Theoretical Predictions and Experimental Measurements of the Micromechanical Environment of Meniscus Cells [PhD thesis]. Duke University; 2007.

2006

Yao J. Finite Element Modeling of the Meniscus in the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Deficient Knee With Magnetic Resonance Imaging Based Experimental Validation [PhD thesis]. University of Rochester; 2006.

2012

Guo H. An Augmented Lagrangian Finite Element Formulation for the Biphasic Contact of Hydrated Soft Tissues in Physiological Joints [PhD thesis]. Troy, NY: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; July 2012.