Jain, T.S.; Noori, M.; Rencis, J.J.; Anderson, A.; Noori, N.; Hazelwood, S. Finite Element Analysis of the Bearing Component of Total Ankle Replacement Implants during the Stance Phase of the Gait Cycle. BioMedInformatics2024, 4, 1949-1978.
Jain, T.S.; Noori, M.; Rencis, J.J.; Anderson, A.; Noori, N.; Hazelwood, S. Finite Element Analysis of the Bearing Component of Total Ankle Replacement Implants during the Stance Phase of the Gait Cycle. BioMedInformatics 2024, 4, 1949-1978.
Jain, T.S.; Noori, M.; Rencis, J.J.; Anderson, A.; Noori, N.; Hazelwood, S. Finite Element Analysis of the Bearing Component of Total Ankle Replacement Implants during the Stance Phase of the Gait Cycle. BioMedInformatics2024, 4, 1949-1978.
Jain, T.S.; Noori, M.; Rencis, J.J.; Anderson, A.; Noori, N.; Hazelwood, S. Finite Element Analysis of the Bearing Component of Total Ankle Replacement Implants during the Stance Phase of the Gait Cycle. BioMedInformatics 2024, 4, 1949-1978.
Abstract
Total ankle replacement (TAR) implants are an effective option to restore the range of motion of the ankle joint for arthritic patients. An effective tool for analyzing these implants’ mechanical performance and longevity in-silico is finite element analysis (FEA). ABAQUS FEA was used to statically analyze the von Mises stress and contact pressure on the articulating surface of the bearing component in two newly installed fixed-bearing total ankle replacement implants (the Wright Medical INBONE II and the Exactech Vantage). This ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) bearing commonly fails and is the cause for surgeon revisions. Six different FEA models for various gait percentages during stance (10%-60%) were created. They varied in magnitude of the compressive load and the ankle dorsiflexion/plantarflexion angle. The results indicated that the von Mises stress and contact pressure distributions increased as compressive load increased, and the largest magnitudes occurred at high dorsiflexion angles (15-30°). High magnitudes occurred in regions where the thickness of the bearing was the least. Additionally, high contact pressures were examined in areas near the talar component's edge or at the bearing's edges. To the author’s knowledge, this is the first study available to the research community that analyzes the Vantage implant with FEA. This study lays an essential foundation for future researchers in presenting a thorough literature review of TAR and methods for a simple FEA model setup. This study provides valuable information that can be beneficial to medical company designers and orthopedic surgeons in understanding the stress response and contact pressure of TAR implants during use.
Keywords
bioengineering; total ankle replacement (TAR); bearing component; UHMWPE; finite element analysis; von Mises stress; contact pressure; ABAQUS
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.