Prosthesis loosening is the leading cause of postoperative revision in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). The deviation of medial and lateral translational installation of the prosthesis during surgery is a common clinical phenomenon and an important factor in increasing the risk of prosthesis loosening. This study established a UKA finite element model and a bone-prosthesis fixation interface micromotion prediction model. The predicted medial contact force and joint motion of the knee joint from a patient-specific lower extremity musculoskeletal multibody dynamics model of UKA were used as boundary conditions. The effects of 9 femoral component medial and lateral translational installation deviations on the Von Mises stress of the proximal tibia, the contact stress, and the micro-motion of the bone prosthesis fixation interface were quantitatively studied. It was found that compared with the neutral position (a/A of 0.492), the lateral translational deviation of the femoral component significantly increased the tibial Von Mises stress and the bone-prosthesis fixation interface contact stress. The maximum Von Mises stress and the maximum contact stress of the fixation interface increased by 14.08% and 143.15%, respectively, when a/A was 0.361. The medial translational deviation of the femoral component significantly increased the bone-prosthesis fixation interface micro-motion. The maximum value of micromotion under the conditions of femoral neutral and medial translation deviation was in the range of 20-50 μm, which is suitable for osseointegration. Therefore, based on considerations such as the micromotion range suitable for osseointegration reported in the literature, the risk of reducing prosthesis loosening, and factors that may induce pain, it is recommended that clinicians control the mounting position of the femoral component during surgery within the safe range of 0-4 mm medial translation deviation.
Humans ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/methods* ; Finite Element Analysis ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Knee Prosthesis ; Tibia/surgery* ; Femur/surgery* ; Stress, Mechanical ; Prosthesis Failure ; Knee Joint/surgery* ; Prosthesis Design

Although metal blocks have been widely used for reconstructing uncontained tibial bone defects, the influence of their elastic modulus on the stability of tibial prosthesis fixation remains unclear. Based on this, a finite element model incorporating constrained condylar knee (CCK) prosthesis, tibia, and metal block was established. Considering the influence of the post-restraint structure of the prosthesis, the effects of variations in the elastic modulus of the block on the von Mises stress distribution in the tibia and the block, as well as on the micromotion at the bone-prosthesis fixation interface, were investigated. Results demonstrated that collision between the insert post and femoral prosthesis during tibial internal rotation increased tibial von Mises stress, significantly influencing the prediction of block elastic modulus variation. A decrease in the elastic modulus of the metal block resulted in increased von Mises stress in the proximal tibia, significantly reduced von Mises stress in the distal tibia, decreased von Mises stress of the block, and increased micromotion at the bone-prosthesis fixation interface. When the elastic modulus of the metal block fell below that of bone cement, inadequate block support substantially increased the risk of stress shielding in the distal tibia and fixation interface loosening. Therefore, this study recommends that biomechanical investigations of CCK prostheses must consider the post-constraint effect, and the elastic modulus of metal blocks for bone reconstruction should not be lower than 3 600 MPa.
Knee Prosthesis ; Humans ; Finite Element Analysis ; Tibia/surgery* ; Elastic Modulus ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/methods* ; Stress, Mechanical ; Metals ; Prosthesis Design ; Knee Joint/surgery* ; Biomechanical Phenomena

Compared with total knee arthroplasty, unicondylar knee replacement has the advantage of preserving the knee tissue structure and motor function to the greatest extent. Pre-clinical in-vitro test is an important tool to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of unicondylar knee prostheses, and it is also a key focus of the product registration process. Through collection, comparison, and analysis of current regulations, technical standards, guidelines, and related research literature, this paper expounds on the relevant research methods for the pre-clinical in-vitrotesting of unicondylar knee prostheses. At the same time, in conjunction with current evaluation requirements and experience, the study discusses the focus of pre-clinical performance research for unicondylar knee prostheses during the registration process to clarify the performance evaluation requirements of this product category. This aims to provide a reference for the pre-clinical performance research of unicondylar knee prostheses and to standardize industry testing standards.
Knee Prosthesis ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Humans ; Prosthesis Design ; Materials Testing

Objective For patient-specific open-wedge high tibial osteotomy(OWHTO),a novel anatomical fixation plate was designed,and the effects of geometric parameters and material selection on biomechanical fixation were studied.Methods A patient-specific OWHTO anatomical fixation plate was designed and constructed,and the effects of design parameters(thickness,width,and length of the fixation plate)and four different materials(stainless steel,titanium alloy,magnesium alloy,and PEEK)on the biomechanics of the OWHTO fixation system were studied using finite element analysis.The biomechanical differences between the anatomical fixation plate and TomoFix fixation plate were also compared.Results The thickness had a greater effect on the micromotion of the osteotomy space than the length and width of the fixation plate did.Titanium alloy or magnesium alloy fixation plates were more conducive than stainless steel and PEEK materials in obtaining reasonable stability and mechanical transfer simultaneously.Compared with that of the TomoFix plate,the maximum von Mises stress of the anatomical fixation plate was reduced by 13.5%;the maximum von Mises stress of the screws and tibia was increased by 9.8%and 18.4%,respectively;and the micromotion at the maximum osteotomy space cc was increased by 49.3%.Conclusions Anatomical fixation plates have a positive effect on reducing the stress-shielding effect and improving biomechanical properties under the premise of ensuring stability.This study provides a reference for the development of OWHTO anatomical fixation plates.

Objective To study the effects of different posterior slope installations of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty(UKA)prostheses on the loading and motion of the knee joint and insert wear.Methods A combined approach involving the UKA musculoskeletal multibody dynamic,finite element,and wear prediction models was used to investigate the effects of five different posterior slope installation positions of the UKA prosthesis on the postoperative knee joint force and motion,insert contact stress,linear wear depth,and wear volume.Results At a 0° posterior slope,the maximum von Mises stress of the insert was 24.84 MPa,maximum contact stress was 47.61 MPa,and volumetric wear after 5 million cycles(MC)was 47.29 mm3.As the posterior slope angle of the UKA prosthesis increased,the internal rotation and posterior translation during the gait cycle increased,the medial joint force during the swing phase increased,the von Mises and contact stresses of the insert after 5 MC decreased significantly,and the wear area,maximum linear wear depth,and volumetric wear volume of the insert were consequently reduced.Compared to the 0° posterior slope,the linear wear depths of the insert at the 3°,5°,and 7° posterior slopes decreased by 17.8％,19.2％,and 20.6％,respectively.The volumetric wear volumes of the inserts decreased by 24.5％,30.9％,and 34.3％,respectively.Conclusions Installing a UKA prosthesis with a posterior slope exceeding 3° significantly increases internal rotation and posterior translation during the gait cycle,further reducing the articular volumetric wear of the polyethylene insert.

Objective To investigate the biomechanical effects of the backside design of tibial trays on the bone-prosthesis fixation interfaces in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty(UKA).Methods Finite element models of medial knee arthroplasty were constructed using a fixed UKA prosthesis.The knee joint load and joint motion under walking motion were considered as boundary conditions,and the differences in tibial von Mises stress,contact stress,and micromotion of the bone-prosthesis fixation interface of the UKA tibial trays with big keel,small keel,two-peg with fin,three-oblique peg,and three-upright peg types were compared.Results At the maximum medical knee force moment,compared to the two-peg with fin type,the tibial von Mises stress,contact stress,and micromotion of the bone-prosthesis fixation interface decreased by 8%and 15.9%and increased by 9.9%for the big keel type;decreased by 12.3%and increased by 7.5%and 0.9%for the small keel type;decreased by 10%,10.5%,and increased by 1.2%for the three-oblique peg type;and decreased by 7.7%,14.7%,and 1.6%for the three-upright peg type,respectively.However,the maximum micromotion of the bone-prosthesis fixation interface occurred at 21%of the gait cycle.Compared to the two-peg with fin type,the micromotion of the bone-prosthesis fixation interface increased by 11.6%for the big keel type,increased by 1.6%for the small keel type,decreased by 0.4%for the three-oblique peg type,and decreased by 2.3%for the three-upright peg type.Conclusions To improve the long-term fixation effects of tibial prostheses,it is recommended to focus on a two-upright peg with fin or small keel designs when UKA tibial trays are designed,which can effectively balance the stress transfer and interface micromotion,thereby ensuring prosthesis stability and reducing the risk of aseptic loosening.

The clinical performance and failure issues are significantly influenced by prosthetic malposition in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). Uncertainty exists about the impact of the prosthetic joint line height in UKA on tibial insert wear. In this study, we combined the UKA musculoskeletal multibody dynamics model, finite element model and wear model to investigate the effects of seven joint line height cases of fixed UKA implant on postoperative insert contact mechanics, cumulative sliding distance, linear wear depth and volumetric wear. As the elevation of the joint line height in UKA, the medial contact force and the joint anterior-posterior translation during swing phase were increased, and further the maximum von Mises stress, contact stress, linear wear depth, cumulative sliding distance, and the volumetric wear also were increased. Furthermore, the wear area of the insert gradually shifted from the middle region to the rear. Compared to 0 mm joint line height, the maximum linear wear depth and volumetric wear were decreased by 7.9% and 6.8% at -2 mm joint line height, and by 23.7% and 20.6% at -6 mm joint line height, the maximum linear wear depth and volumetric wear increased by 10.7% and 5.9% at +2 mm joint line height, and by 24.1% and 35.7% at +6 mm joint line height, respectively. UKA prosthetic joint line installation errors can significantly affect the wear life of the polyethylene inserted articular surfaces. Therefore, it is conservatively recommended that clinicians limit intraoperative UKA joint line height errors to -2-+2 mm.
Humans ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Knee Joint ; Knee Prosthesis ; Mechanical Phenomena ; Polyethylene ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/surgery* ; Tibia/surgery* ; Biomechanical Phenomena

Objective To investigate the effects of design parameters such as neck-shaft angle, femoral offset and anteversion angle of total hip arthroplasty ( THA) prosthesis on contact forces of the hip. Methods A musculoskeletal multi-body dynamic model of THA was established based on AnyBody software. The effects of single or multiple factors on hip contact force were studied when the neck-shaft angle, eccentricity and anteversion angle varied within ±10°, ±20 mm and ±10°, respectively. Results The maximum hip contact force increased by 26. 08% when femoral offset was reduced by 20 mm. The maximum hip contact force increased by 5. 99% when the neck-shaft angle increased by 10°. When the anteversion angle increased by 10°, the hip contact force decreased at 0% -24% of gait cycle, with the peak decreasing by 19. 16% . However, the hip contact force was significantly increased at 38% -70% of gait cycle, with the peak increasing by 67. 78% . Conclusions In extramedullary design of the femoral stem, based on reconstruction of the patient’s anatomical parameters, the offset of the femoral stem can be appropriately increased, and the neck-shaft angle and anteversion angle can bereduced to avoid increasing forces on the hip.

Objective Aiming at the medial prosthetic loosening failure and lateral cartilage degeneration after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty ( UKA), the effects of prosthetic installation errors of joint line in UKA on knee contact mechanics and kinematics during different physiologic activities were studied using musculoskeletal multi-body dynamic method. Methods Taking the medial natural joint line as 0 mm error, six installation errors ofjoint line including ±2 mm, ±4 mm and ±6 mm were considered respectively, and seven musculoskeletal multi body dynamic models of medial UKA were established, to comparatively study the variations in knee contact mechanics and kinematics during walking and squatting. Results At 70% of walking gait cycle, compared with 0 mm error, the medial prosthetic contact force was increased by 127. 3% and the contact force of the lateral cartilage was decreased by 12. 0% under 2 mm elevation in joint line, the medial prosthetic contact force was close to 0 N, but the lateral cartilage contact forces were increased by 10. 1% under 4 mm reduction in joint line. The tibiofemoral total contact forces were increased by 19. 7% and decreased by 14. 2% under 2 mm elevation and 2 mm reduction in joint line, respectively. At the 100°knee flexion during squatting, compared with 0 mm error, the medial prosthetic contact force and the tibiofemoral total contact force increased by 31. 6% and 11. 1% under 2 mm elevation in joint line, and decreased by 24. 5% and 8. 5% under 2 mm reduction in joint line, respectively. The change in the lateral cartilage contact force was not marked. Moreover, at 70% of walking gait cycle, the varus angle decreased, the internal rotation and the anterior translation increased along with the elevation of joint line in UKA, while it was just the opposite along with the reduction of joint line in UKA. The trends of the varus valgus movement and anterior-posterior translation during squatting were consistent with those during swing phase of walking, but the trend of the internal-external rotation was opposite. Conclusions In order to reduce the risk of medial prosthetic loosening failure and lateral cartilage degeneration, it is recommended that the installation error of joint line in UKA should be controlled in the range of -2 mm to +2 mm. This study provides theoretical basis for UKA clinical failure caused by changes in joint line