The Biomechanical Analysis of Tibial Implants Using Meshless Methods: Stress and Bone Tissue Remodeling Analysis

Abstract

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) stands out as one of the most widely employed surgical procedures, establishing itself as the preferred method for addressing advanced osteoarthritis of the knee. However, current knee prostheses require refined design solutions. This research work focuses on a computational analysis of both the mechanical behavior of a knee joint implant and the bone remodeling process in the tibia following implantation. This research study delves into how specific design parameters, particularly the stem geometry, impact the prosthesis’s performance. Utilizing a computed tomography scan of a tibia, various TKA configurations were simulated to conduct analyses employing advanced discretization techniques, such as the finite element method (FEM) and the radial point interpolation method (RPIM). The findings reveal that the introduction of the implant leads to a marginal increase in the stress values within the tibia, accompanied by a reduction in the displacement field values. The insertion of the longest tested implant increased the maximum stress from 5.0705 MPa to 6.1584 MPa, leading to a displacement reduction from 0.016 mm to 0.0142 mm. Finally, by combining the FEM with a bone remodeling algorithm, the bone remodeling process of the tibia due to an implant insertion was simulated.