Estimation of stress and strain of knee joint using finite element analysis

Abstract

Abstract In the present paper, finite element analysis of the knee joint is performed for stress and strain estimation of the knee joint for osteoarthritis patients. Osteoarthritis (OA), called the wear and tear arthritis is commonly occurring arthritis wherein a gradual loss of cartilage from the joints are observed. This leads to the joint bones rubbing quite close against one another with less amount of shock-absorbing done by the cartilage causing pain, stiffness, swelling, decreased movability and bone spur formation can be observed. It is mostly observed in patients above 45 years old, but weight and gender are also some of the factors forcing a quick onset of the disease. Using modelling software Blender, a solid model is made of the bone component, namely tibia, fibula, femur and patella as well as Ligaments and cartilages. Using finite element simulation software, analysis is done to determine the level of stress under various forces on the joint. The knee joint experiences a maximum stress and strain of 2.352 MPa and 0.02454 respectively which are within safe static condition. The study can be further extended to predict the danger of failure for the patients having osteoarthritis conditions which in turn will help to take a preventive measure for the knee joint.