Mechanical Response of Human Knee Joint to Sinusoidal Compression: Influence of Fluid Pressurization in Soft Tissues

The mechanical response of the knee joint has been simulated using finite element methods with elastic material models [1–4]. Fluid pressurization in articular cartilage and menisci has not been considered in the anatomically accurate joint modeling until recently [5–7]. We have recently considered stress relaxation and creep behavior of human knees. The objective of the present study was to investigate the mechanics of the femoral cartilage under cyclical knee compression. We are particularly interested in the determination of loading versus unloading patterns for the fluid pressure and flow, as well as the influence of the loading frequency on the fluid pressurization.