Analysis of different levels of constraint in a total knee arthroplasty: a finite element study

Abstract

The total knee arthroplasty is one of the most common orthopaedic surgical procedure. Thisone aims to relieve the pain and improve the mobility of the patients suffering from conditionsleading to the deterioration of the knee joint. This surgery is only considered when the medicaltreatments such as the anti-inflammatory medications and physiotherapy are no longer sufficientto improve the patient’s condition. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons(AAOS), 90% of the patients undergoing a knee arthroplasty experience a significant reduction inpain. Besides, over 90 % of the prosthetic knees are still functioning after 15 years. For most ofthe patients, this procedure enable them to return to simple activities such as walking or climbingstairs, and leads to an improved quality of life with less pain and more mobility.This thesis focuses on the clinical case of a patient who was suffering from osteoarthritis and had toundergo a total knee arthroplasty. The choice of the surgeonGianluca Castel larinwas to preserveas much as possible the soft tissues of the patients including the posterior cruciate ligament. Hemade the choice of using a cruciate retaining prosthesis. The goal of this thesis is to model theknee of the patient with four different types of prostheses with different levels of constraint usingfinite element analysis to confirm/invalidate the choice made by the surgeon.