Effect of simulated muscle activity on distal radioulnar joint loading in vitro

This study investigated the relationship between simulated forearm muscle loads and the joint reaction force in the distal radioulnar joint using an in vitro model. Seven fresh frozen cadaveric specimens were mounted in an upper extremity joint simulator capable of applying pneumatic loads to various (muscle) tendons while restraining the forearm in the three positions of pronation, supination, and neutral rotation. Loads were applied to model four forearm muscles (biceps, pronator teres, pronator quadratus, and supinator) in 10 N increments ranging from 10 N to 80 N for the biceps and pronator teres and in 10 N increments from 10 N to 50 N for the pronator quadratus and the supinator. Distal ulnar arthroplasty was performed on each specimen with a custom instrumented ulnar head replacement implant that quantified loads (via strain gauge instrumentation). The relationship between increasing muscle load and joint load was found to be positive and quasilinear in most cases. The biceps had the greatest influence on the distal radioulnar joint reaction force with a joint force in the range of 8% to 33% of the applied muscle load. The pronator teres, supinator, and pronator quadratus were less influential with a joint reaction force ranging between 6% to 19%, 4% to 9% and 2% to 10% of the applied muscle load, respectively.