The Influence of Frontal and Axial Plane Deformities on Contact Mechanics during Squatting: A Finite Element Study
type: CreativeWork
description: Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA) is a degenerative joint disease and a leading cause of disability worldwide. Lower limb malalignment was a risky factor leading to KOA, altering the load distributions. This study aimed to study the influence of knee deformities on knee contact mechanics and knee kinematics during squatting. A full-leg squat FE model was developed based on general open-source models and validated with in vivo studies to investigate the outputs under frontal malalignment (valgus 8° to varus 8°) and axial malalignment (miserable malalignment 30°). As a result, Varus-aligned and miserable aligned models increased medial tibiofemoral force and lateral patellar contact pressures, while the valgus-aligned model increased lateral tibiofemoral force medial patellar contact pressures with no effects on total contact loads. The Model with a higher medial force ratio (medial force/total force) induced a higher internal tibial rotation. In conclusion, we recommended that patients with knee malalignment be taken care of alignments in both frontal and axial planes.
abstract: Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA) is a degenerative joint disease and a leading cause of disability worldwide. Lower limb malalignment was a risky factor leading to KOA, altering the load distributions. This study aimed to study the influence of knee deformities on knee contact mechanics and knee kinematics during squatting. A full-leg squat FE model was developed based on general open-source models and validated with in vivo studies to investigate the outputs under frontal malalignment (valgus 8° to varus 8°) and axial malalignment (miserable malalignment 30°). As a result, Varus-aligned and miserable aligned models increased medial tibiofemoral force and lateral patellar contact pressures, while the valgus-aligned model increased lateral tibiofemoral force medial patellar contact pressures with no effects on total contact loads. The Model with a higher medial force ratio (medial force/total force) induced a higher internal tibial rotation. In conclusion, we recommended that patients with knee malalignment be taken care of alignments in both frontal and axial planes.
author: Xu, Yidan
language: en_ca
keywords: knee malalignment, finite element, knee joint, contact mechanics, knee kinematics, knee osteoarthritis, stress distribution, squatting
date published: 2022-01-26
date modified: 2026-07-27T21:56:18Z
provider: Western University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: The University of Western Ontario

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/31902