Loading and kinematic profiles for patellofemoral durability testing.

Patellar complications after total knee replacement (TKR), such as maltracking, fracture, wear, and loosening, can lead to implant failure and revision surgery. However, few in vitro patellofemoral durability tests for the implanted joint have been developed. Existing standards for patellofemoral loading profiles (ISO 14243-5, draft) are generic (not implant-specific) and do not include patient variability.

Experimental pre-clinical assessment of the primary stability of two cementless femoral knee components.

To achieve long-lasting fixation of cementless implants, an adequate primary stability is required. We aimed to compare primary stability of a new cementless femoral knee component (Attune®) against a conventional implant (LCS®) under different loading conditions. Six pairs of femora were prepared following the normal surgical procedure.

Identifying alignment parameters affecting implanted patellofemoral mechanics.

Complications of the patellofemoral (PF) joint remain a common cause for revision of total knee replacements. PF complications, such as patellar maltracking, subluxation, and implant failure, have been linked to femoral and patellar component alignment. In this study, a dynamic finite element model of an implanted PF joint was applied in conjunction with a probabilistic simulation to establish relationships between alignment parameters and PF kinematics, contact mechanics, and internal stresses.