In vivo cartilage contact deformation in the healthy human tibiofemoral joint.
OBJECTIVE
In vivo cartilage contact deformation is instrumental for understanding human joint function and degeneration. This study measured the total deformation of contacting articular cartilage in the human tibiofemoral joint during in vivo weight-bearing flexion.


METHODS
Eleven healthy knees were magnetic resonance (MR) scanned and imaged with a dual fluoroscopic system while the subject performed a weight-bearing single-leg lunge. The tibia, femur and associated articulating cartilage were constructed from the MR images and combined with the dual fluoroscopic images to determine in vivo cartilage contact deformation from full extension to 120 degrees of flexion.


RESULTS
In both compartments, minimum peak compartmental contact deformation occurred at 30 degrees of flexion (24 +/- 6% medial, 17 +/- 7% lateral) and maximum peak compartmental deformation occurred at 120 degrees of flexion (30 +/- 13% medial, 30 +/- 10% lateral) during the weight-bearing flexion from full extension to 120 degrees. Average medial contact areas and peak contact deformations were significantly greater than lateral compartment values (P < 0.05). In addition, cartilage thickness in regions of contact was on average 1.4- and 1.1-times thicker than the average thickness of the tibial and femoral cartilage surfaces, respectively (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These data may provide base-line knowledge for investigating the effects of various knee injuries on joint contact biomechanics and the aetiology of cartilage degeneration.
Bingham
J T
JT
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Bioengineering Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Papannagari
R
R
Van de Velde
S K
SK
Gross
C
C
Gill
T J
TJ
Felson
D T
DT
Rubash
H E
HE
Li
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011312:Pressure; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012212:Rheology; D013977:Tibia / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D016474:Weight-Bearing; D055815:Young Adult
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