Computational investigation of the time-dependent contact behaviour of the human tibiofemoral joint under body weight

The knee joint is one of the most common sites for osteoarthritis, the onset and progression of which are believed to relate to the mechanical environment of cartilage. To understand this environment, it is necessary to take into account the complex biphasic contact interactions of the cartilage and menisci. In this study, the time-dependent contact behaviour of an intact and a meniscectomized human tibiofemoral joint was characterized under body weight using a computational model. Good agreement in the contact area and femoral displacement under static loads were found between model predictions of this study and published experimental measurements. The time-dependent results indicated that as loading time progressed, the contact area and femoral vertical displacement of both intact and meniscectomized joints increased. More load was transferred to the cartilage–cartilage interface over time. However, the portions of load borne by the lateral and medial compartments did not greatly vary with time. Additionally, during the whole simulation period, the maximum compressive stress in the meniscectomized joint was higher than that in the intact joint. The fluid pressure in the intact and meniscectomized joints remained remarkably high at the condyle centres, but the fluid pressure at the cartilage–meniscus interface decreased faster than that at the condyle centres as loading time progressed. The above findings provide further insights into the mechanical environment of the cartilage and meniscus within the human knee joint.