Elbow Joint Contact Mechanics: Multibody and Finite Element Methods
Abstract
Only a few millimeter thick articular cartilage is a very specialized connective tissue
which withstands high compressive and shear forces while protecting the bone from excessive
loading, and provides a smooth articulation for the joint. Better understanding of elbow
cartilage contact mechanics can provide a valuable insight into cartilage degeneration
mechanisms and osteoarthritis development. Computational modeling is a very efficient tool
that helps us gain better understanding of joint biomechanics, particularly elbow joint contact
mechanics. This tool can predict parameters that are not feasible to measure experimentally,
decrease the cost of physical experiment, help develop better rehabilitation and surgical
protocols, and finally improve patient care. The objectives of the study presented here were
first, to develop subject specific finite element (FE) models of the isolated ulno-humeral joint
of the elbow and validate these models against experiment measurements. Second, to develop
multibody (MB) models of the same joints with the humerus cartilage represented with discrete
rigid bodies interacting with the ulna cartilage with deformable contacts. Third, to optimize the
deformable contact parameters used in the MB models to validated FE models and assess the
effect of grid sizes on the contact predictions. These models allow for the prediction of cartilage
contact characteristics including maximum and average contact pressure (MPa), and contact
area (mm2) under different loading conditions and during activities in the anatomic elbow
joint. Finally, the results from optimization indicated that the selection of contact parameters
is very critical for accurate prediction of contact mechanics within the MB models of ulno
humeral joints.
Table of Contents
Introduction -- Ulna-humerus contact mechanics: finite element analysis and experimental measurements using a tactile pressure sensor -- Calibrating multibody ulno-humeral joint cartilage using a validated finite element model -- Conclusion
Degree
M.S.