Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Osteoarthritis is a debilitating disease that often drastically reduces an individual's mobility that, according to Statistics Canada, has led to an expense of $5 billion annually when you consider health care costs and loss of productivity. It is recognized that mechanical factors play an important role in the etiology of knee injuries and diseases such as osteoarthritis. While performing daily activities, particularly during occupational and sport activities, the joint is exposed to vibrations and multiple impacts. Recognizing that the dynamic response characteristics of the human knee joint remains largely unknown, the goal of this study is to develop a basic understanding of the dynamics of the knee joint using both experimental and finite element methods. We hypothesize that changes in parameters that can affect joint dynamic loading condition such as preload, dynamic amplitude, and upper body mass as well as joint flexion angle and menisectomy can significantly influence the knee joint dynamic response. Determining the extent at which these parameters can affect joint dynamic characteristics is essential in research and development projects dealing with the effect of mechanical factors in causation, prevention and rehabilitation of knee injuries and osteoarthritis. The specific aims of this project are: 1- To perform experimental frequency response analyses of passive human knee joints. The knee joint dynamic system parameters and their alterations by changes in different loading conditions, joint flexion angle, and joint condition will be determined. Creep and relaxation tests will be also performed to provide data for verification of mathematical models of the knee joint. 2- To develop a nonlinear 3-D dynamic finite element model of the knee joint. The model will be validated by simulating the experiments and comparing the predicted finite element response with those of experiments. The validated model will be then used to gain more insights into the behavior of the joint. In the long term, vibration response analyses of the model in conjunction with experimental measurements is expected to introduce new diagnostic (vibration response signature), preventive, and therapeutic (vibration therapy) methods for osteoarthritis and knee injuries.