Anisometry anterior cruciate ligament sport injury mechanism study: a finite element model with optimization method

ACL damage is one the most frequent causes of knee injuries and thus has long been the focus of research in biomechanics and sports medicine. Due to the anisometric geometry and functional complexity of the ACL in the knee joint, it is usually difficult to experimentally study the biomechanics of ACLs. Anatomically ACL geometry was obtained from both MR images and anatomical observations. The optimal material parameters of the ACL were obtained by using an optimization-based material identification method that minimized the differences between experimental results from ACL specimens and FE simulations. The optimal FE model simulated biomechanical responses of the ACL during complex combined injury-causing knee movements, it predicted stress concentrations on the top and middle side of the posterolateral (PL) bundles. This model was further validated by a clinical case of ACL injury diagnosed by MRI and arthroscope, it demonstrated that the locations of rupture in the patient's knee corresponded to those where the stresses and moments were predicted to be concentrated. The result implies that varus rotation played a contributing but secondary role in injury under combined movements, the ACL elevation angle, is positive correlated with the tensional loading tolerance of the ACL.