Polymer Insert Stress in Total Knee Designs During High-Flexion Activities: A Finite Element Study

The success of total knee arthroplasty has contributed to its widening application to younger, more active patient populations whose daily regimen includes more demanding high-flexion activities. Worldwide expansion to patient populations in the Middle East and Asia, where the attainment of high degrees of knee joint flexion is often a cultural requirement, has been steadily increasing in recent years. The present study reveals the contact areas and stresses that are associated with polymer insert abrasion. Finite-element models were created of four total knee designs during the most highly loaded portions of three different high-flexion activities, and the results suggest their efficacy in clinical use.