Contact areas and pressures between native patellas and prosthetic femoral components

Contact areas and pressures between native patellas and a prosthetic condylar design femoral component were measured at flexion angles of 30 degrees, 60 degrees, and 90 degrees. These were compared to measurements obtained with a domed all-polyethylene patellar component. Mean native patellar contact areas were found to be fourfold greater than seen with the prosthetic patellar component. Contact stresses in the native patellas were below the yield strength of articular cartilage in 80% of the contact area. By contrast, stresses measured in the prosthetic patella exceeded the yield strength of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene in 64% of the measured contact area. Contact areas and stresses were not significantly effected by flexion angle. Although contact areas and stresses reflect only a part of the dynamics of the patellofemoral articulation this information would support the selective retention of the native patella in total knee arthroplasty.