Knee Mechanics

Research in the Computational Biomechanics Lab is focused on developing realistic, high fidelity models to characterize natural knee mechanics and assess the performance of total knee replacement (TKR) implants. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, more than 600,000 knee replacements are performed each year in the United States. The lab is experienced in the application of explicit finite element methods to efficiently perform dynamic evaluations of knee mechanics with complex material representations and contact conditions. Rigorous model validation has been performed through comparisons with experimental data from the Experimental Joint Biomechanics Research Lab at the University of Kansas. Subject-specific models of cadaveric knees have been evaluated under a variety of loading conditions in the Kansas knee simulator. Knee replacement implants are evaluated for a variety of activities including deep knee bend, gait and kneeling. Through collaborations with the Probabilistic Mechanics Lab, the effects of variability sources (anatomic, material and surgical) on joint mechanics have been evaluated. Recent focus has been on moving from simulator loading conditions to more realistic activities of daily living using musculoskeletal modeling.