Finite element simulation of tibial insert mechanical behavior using polyethylene materials

Title : Finite element simulation of tibial insert mechanical behavior using polyethylene materials

Abstract:

Tibial inserts in total knee prostheses are designed to replicate the mechanical properties of native articular cartilage by ensuring load distribution, stress absorption, and low-friction articulation. The mechanical properties of three polyethylene-based materials—Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE), Crosslinked Polyethylene (XLPE), and Highly Crosslinked Polyethylene (HXLPE)—that are frequently utilized for tibial implants are examined in this work. The tibial insert geometry, material property assignment, meshing, boundary condition definition, and application of compressive loading representative of physiological knee joint forces were all part of the structured workflow used to carry out finite element simulations using SolidWorks Simulation. Simulation outcomes reveal marked differences in the mechanical response of the three materials. While XLPE showed intermediate stiffness with balanced deformation and stress distribution, UHMWPE showed the most deformation and most compliant load-bearing behavior. Reduced deformation but increased stress concentrations were the results of HXLPE's maximum stiffness and lowest strain. These results indicate that UHMWPE behaves more similarly to a compliant insert, whereas HXLPE provides greater structural stability but may transmit higher stresses to adjacent components. This work provides a comparative mechanical evaluation of polyethylene materials for tibial inserts and offers quantitative data to guide material selection in knee prosthesis design, durability assessment, and computational modeling of joint biomechanics.

Biography:

Saida Benhmida is a researcher specializing in biomechanics. She obtained her Ph.D. in Biophysics, Medical Physics and Medical Imaging from Tunis EL Manar University in 2021. She worked as a post doc researcher at the Laboratory of Biophysics and Medical Technologies at the Higher Institute of Medical Technologies in Tunis. Where she worked on the numerical modeling of the viscoelastic behavior of human trabecular bone. Her work focuses mainly on multiphysics simulation, the rheology of biological fluids, and the mechanical analysis of musculoskeletal tissues. She has published several articles in indexed scientific journals, presented her work at international conferences, and supervises master’s students. His research interests include tissue viscoelasticity, advanced numerical simulation (Python, Abaqus, and SolidWorks), biomaterial mechanics, and the application of constitutive models to osteoarticular pathologies.