Application of finite elements to the stress analysis of articular cartilage

A common effect of arthritic disease processes in synovial joints is deterioration of the articular cartilage. Therefore, an improved understanding of the relationships between the composition and structure of articular cartilage and the mechanical behaviour is a subject of considerable interest. The numerical modelling tool of finite element (FE) analysis has been widely applied to analyse the behaviour of articular cartilage under compressive stress. FE analysis enables parameters and boundary conditions to be investigated which are not accessible experimentally or analytically. The biphasic theory describes the constitutive behaviour of soft hydrated biological tissues, such as articular cartilage, and has been successfully implemented using FE analysis. The development of successively more comprehensive biphasic models is described here detailing the use of FE analysis in modelling experimental configurations such as indentation. Key work in the area is reviewed in this paper.