A three-dimensional finite element model of a human knee joint - A preliminary study

This paper presents the preliminary findings of a three-dimensional finite element (FE) model of a human knee joint which is validated with in-house experimental data. The model is, a flexed knee joint consisting of tibia, femur and fibula, four major ligaments (PCL, ACL, MCL and LCL) and menisci - all represented using hexahedral elements. Finite-sliding contact algorithm was used to allow interaction between femur and menisci. Material properties of bones, menisci and ligaments are assumed linear elastic and isotropic. Experiment was performed using a human cadaveric knee specimen with intact soft. tissues. The specimen was flexed at 70 degree to replicate jump-landing dynamics and its kinematics in response to anterior-posterior tibial load was measured. The computed knee kinematics agrees well with that of experiment. This preliminary study shows that the FE model has the potential to be a valuable tool for further analysis of knee function and the understanding of knee injury.