Finite Element Analysis of Knee Cartilage with an Osteochondral Graft

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Date

2009-06

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The Ohio State University

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Abstract

Arthritis is the debilitating condition of deteriorated joint cartilage brought on by injury or normal wear over time. Many forms of treatment for knee arthritis are available based on the age and condition of the patient. One treatment option for patients is osteochondral grafting. Cylindrical grafts of bone and cartilage are taken from a donor site that experiences relatively minimal stress and inserted at the location of deteriorated cartilage. The project investigated the effect of graft depth and graft cartilage stiffness on stress distribution in knee cartilage. The investigation was accomplished through the use of an idealized axisymmetric finite element analysis. A graft depth changes of 1 mm resulted in an increase in cartilage contact stress as high as 83% and an increase in maximum cartilage shear stress as high as 150%. Small variation of the graft cartilage stiffness did not result in a dramatic change in contact pressure or shear stress. Although the investigations showed the relative effect of improper graft depth, the operation remains viable because it decreases pain in the short-term and extends the timeframe for the patient’s active lifestyle.

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finite element analysis, osteochondral graft cartilage

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