The influence of frontally flat bearing design on contact mechanics and kinematics in total knee joint replacements

Abstract Both contact mechanics and kinematics are important for the pre-clinical evaluation of total knee replacements prior to wear simulation. The study has been focused on developing finite element contact models to predict converged contact pressures and kinematics for two different tibio-femoral designs, the frontally flat and dished bearings. The flat bearing led to high contact pressures due to edge effect, and comparable anterior-posterior displacement and internal-external rotation of tibial inserts during gait cycle. The study shows that the computational accuracy and efficiency should be addressed with respect to varied bearing geometries and operating conditions.