Stryker Osteonics: Prosthetic Knee Joint

This report studies the biomechanics, in particular thin-film lubrication, of an artificial knee joint. We study whether using a porous (but still stress resilient) material, or simply adding to the current bearing design a large number of small drilled holes, makes it possible to entrap a lubricating fluid, in a way similar to what the living tissue does. The report concludes that such a design is indeed possible and may lead to less friction in low-load situation; but that the high-load situation is less clear. Also, the report considers only sliding movement of the bearing, not a combination of sliding and rolling.