PATELLOFEMORAL JOINT FRACTURE LOAD PREDICTION USING PHYSICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS

Lower extremity (knee) injury prediction resulting from impact trauma is presently based on a bone fracture (BF) criterion derived from experiments on predominantly aged cadavers. Subsequent experimental and theoretical studies indicate that more aged, pathological specimens require higher, rather than lower, loads to initiate BF. This suggests that a BF criterion based solely on aged specimens may not be indicative of the current driving population. In the current study, the authors sought to determine if cadaver age, physical size, sex, baseline joint pathology, or patellar geometry correlated with fracture load. An analysis was made of data from previous impact experiments conducted on 15 isolated cadaver knees using a consistent impact protocol. The protocol consisted of sequentially increasing the impact energy with a rigid interface until gross fracture. Gross BFs occurred at loads of 6.9 +/- kN (range 3.2-10.6 kN) using this protocol. Regression analyses revealed that fracture load was predicted by only 1 parameter: patellar geometry. Alternately, the authors developed a 2-D mathematical model of the human knee to explore parameters that might influence the loads required to cause gross BF. In support of the authors' recent experimental studies using rigid and padded impact interfaces, the model suggested that load intensity and it's distribution over the knee play a role in defining the fracture load as well as the site (patella or femur) of patellofemoral joint injury.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0768001757
• Corporate Authors:

  Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

  400 Commonwealth Drive
  Warrendale, PA  United States  15096
• Authors:
  • Atkinson, P J
  • Mackenzie, C M
  • Haut, R C
• Publication Date: 1998-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 67-73
• Serial:
  • Publication of: Society of Automotive Engineers
  • Publisher: Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cadavers; Crash tests; Crash victim simulation; Fracture tests; Fractures (Anatomy); Injuries; Knee; Load transfer; Lower extremities; Mathematical models; Regression analysis; Theoretical studies
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fracture load; Load intensity
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00780065
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0768001757
• Report/Paper Numbers: SP-1355, 980358
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 16 1999 12:00AM