Joint Loading & Musculoskeletal Analysis

The loads acting in human joints were measured at the Charité in Berlin directly in patients by using instrumented implants. Additionally to the joint contact forces kinematic and kinetic data were synchronously captured in patients with instrumented knee and hip implants at the motion analysis lab of the Julius Wolff Institute and the Humboldt University of Berlin. For the analysis of various biomechanical issues comprehensive data sets were prepared.

Knowledge of the internal joint loading and movement following total knee replacement is necessary in order to understand implant stability, wear mechanisms, and loading of the surrounding soft tissue structures.

Many biomechanical studies on hip joints and their replacements require detailed knowledge of the loads acting in this joint. These loads widely depend on the performed activity, but additionally vary from one subject to the other. Because the whole possible load spectrum cannot be applied in such studies, a collection of typical loads was compiled. They are based on in vivo measurements in ten active subjects with instrumented hip implants during nine demanding and frequent activities of daily living. Two data sets define (I) average contact forces and frictional moments in subjects with an average body weight and (II) high forces and moments in subjects with a high body weight.

In this publication the knee contact forces and moments during 8 different activities were averaged from 8 subjects (no data included from subject K4R). The numerical data can be used as a basis for improved test standards for knee implants, but also serve as input for finite element models of the knee and for many other biomechanical and clinical purposes.