Strain measurements of proximal tibia following unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA)

Abstract

The strain measurements of proximal tibia following unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) were carried out in this project. The totals of 6 human cadaveric specimens were used for the experiments. The changes in strain distribution of the proximal tibia before and after UKA were obtained using 10 strain gauge rosettes for each specimen. The strain measurement was obtained at different compressive load, ranging from 0 N to 2030 N. It was found that the principal strains in areas closer to the medial border of the tibia increased after UKA and this could be the reason for post-operative tibia pain or fracture of the tibia. In addition, the effects of extended sagittal saw cut on the strain distribution patterns of the proximal tibia were measured in the project. It was found that there was no observable rise in the principal strains due to extended sagittal saw cut of 4 mm vertically on the tibia. The findings of this research provide a good start for further development of better implant design and procedure.