Imp Tech U3 Flashcards
Which ligaments in the knee resist which movements?
ACL; resists posterior subluxation PCL; resists anterior subluxation LCL; resists adduction MCL; resists abduction Posterior capsule (band of tendinous material); resists hyperextension
What is the centre of rotation of the knee called?
The instantaneous centre of rotation (because it changes throughout motion)
Why does the centre of rotation of the knee change?
Medial tibial plateau slightly concave
Lateral tibial plateau slightly convex
Femoral condyles not perfectly circular
Means sliding is required as well as rolling for rotation
Dependent upon cruciate ligaments to hold femur onto tibia for this
What type of forces are experienced through the knee ? Where do these come from?
Compressive
Gravitational forces (1xBW), muscle contraction and ligament balancing loads (3xBW) Total force of 4xBW
How are shear forces exerted on the knee and what resists these?
Loading not directly down during walking, at an angle
Cruciate ligaments balance this
How are lateral forces balanced throughout normal walking?
Medial force is generated during walking - causes turning moment
Quads (via patellar tendon) holds the femur + tibia together so that there is total contact on both sides
When there is an increasing medial force applied, how is it balanced? (in activities more strenuous than normal walking)
- By the quads (via patellar tendon)
- Hamstrings contract to maintain contact
- Muscles not strong enough, all force taken by medial condyle - reliant on LCL to maintain stability
What are constrained, semi-constrained vs unconstrained knee prostheses?
Constrained; linked prosthesis
Unconstrained; surface replacement only
Semi-constrained; mechanism for restraint only in certain degrees of rotation (all modern knee replacements)
If the collateral ligaments are not intact, what kind of prosthesis is used?
A hinge prosthesis
What are the disadvantages of hinge prostheses?
Has no give under lateral or long axis rotational loading
Transmits high shear forces from loading to the interface
Why is a substitute required for the PCL if it is not maintained during knee replacement?
To allow rotation of femur on tibial plateau without sliding too far posteriorly
What are the advantages of a PCL retaining prothesis?
- Allows anterior-posterior stability and proprioceptive activity
- Doesn’t affect normal gait if lost (walking on stairs more stable with PCL though)
What are the disadvantages of a PCL retaining prosthesis?
- Protection of PCL during surgery prevents full dissection of posterior capsule (so may limit full extension)
- Increases tibial surface wear as femoral component encouraged to slide over it
- Limits deformity correction (removal can be preferred to correct deformities)
What are the features of a PCL retaining prosthesis?
Flat tibial plateau (like the normal tibia)
Why is careful determination of the height of the tibial plateau important in PCL retaining prostheses?
Determines how tight the PCL is
- too loose = forward movement of femur on tibia so rolling back no longer works
- too tight = restricted degree of flexion, high contact stresses (compression of 2 surfaces together) and excessive rolling back of femur
Where is HDP wear more of a problem (hip or knee) and why?
Knee
Smaller contact area so stresses in material are higher
What factors can reduce wear in the HDP component?
Reducing the sliding distance of the femoral component
Increased thickness
Metal backing
Pegs
What materials are used to make the femoral and tibial components of a knee joint? Which is more likely to wear first
Femoral; cobalt chrome
Tibial; HDP
HDP is softer so is likely to wear out first
What types of motion are resisted by all knee prostheses? How are these resisted?
Axial motion + lateral motion
Using short stem or interlocking mechanism
What absorbs the load if there is a plane/axis which there is no motion in?
Bone-cement or cement-implant interface
there is no loading in soft tissues
If there is a sudden load where takes the stress and why?
How can this be limited?
Interface experiences large instantaneous stresses in sudden loading because cement/prosthesis materials are much stiffer than biological materials (viscoelastic)
Needs a large contact area to prevent stresses which might loosen the interface
What is the relationship between constraint of the prosthesis and length of stem?
The more constrained the prosthesis is the longer the stem needs to be
What determines the life of a knee prosthesis?
The rate of HDP wear
What is the relationship between diameter of bearing and volume of wear?
Sliding distance (so volume of wear) directly proportional to diameter greater diameter = greater volume of wear