Abstract

Prediction of lower extremity muscle and force of contact can provide useful insights to assist clinicians in the diagnosis as well as in the development of appropriate treatments for musculoskeletal disorders. Studies often estimate joint contact forces using model-based muscle force estimates due to the lack of reliable contact models and material properties. The objective of this study was to develop an integrated Hertzian contact model. Next, the in vivo elastic properties of the total knee replacement (TKR) implant were determined using in vivo contact force, providing reliable material properties for modeling purposes. image. First, a rigid patient-specific musculoskeletal model was constructed. Second, an STL-based implant model was designed to account for changes in contact area during gait movements. Finally, an integrated hertzian contact pattern was determined for in vivo identification of the elastic properties of Young's modulus and Poisson ratio of instrument-equipped TKR implants. Our study shows the possibility of using a new method to predict contact force without knowing the mechanical force. The outcomes can therefore lead to an accurate and reliable prediction of the general human contact forces for a new case study.