Modeling the Effect of Structural Variation on Ligament Apparent Properties

Abstract

The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), one of the four ligaments in the knee oriented within the knee joint alongside the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), plays an important role in knee stability. Because the ACL is more prone to rupture than the PCL, the material properties of the PCL are less well characterized. Nevertheless, knowledge of the PCL material properties is important clinically for PCL reconstruction procedures. The cross-sectional area (CSA) of the PCL varies significantly along its length and confounds stress calculations. In this study, we use linear and non-linear constants determined from experimental testing of porcine PCL (n=5) in a finite element model to examine the effect of CSA variation on ligament modeling. The load-deformation curves obtained from FE analysis for different CSA (average, proximal, middle, and distal) for different material models will be compared to experimental load-deformation curves. This will allow us to identify which CSA represents the best experimental scenario and needs to use for further stress and other calculations.