Pre-clinical Analysis of Implanted Ankle Joint Using Finite Element Method

Slacken off of the implant component, dislocation, misalignment, fracture, wear in meniscal bearing, etc. are the most important reasons behind the failure of ankle arthroplasty. The study on the effects of implant material on tibia bone stress due to total ankle replacement (TAR) is the prime goal of this paper. Computed tomography (CT) scan data was used to develop the bones, and other soft tissues for the intact and implanted ankle joint. Three implanted FE models were generated having a different combination of implant material. The implanted FE model 1 is having the implant material combination of metal and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). The combination of implant material in FE model 2 was ceramic and UHMWPE, whereas FE model 3 consists of the implant material combination of ceramic and carbon-fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK), respectively. Three positions during gait such as dorsiflexion, neutral, and plantar flexion positions were considered as applied loading condition, along with muscle force and ligaments. Stress shielding was found in the proximal region of the tibia (i.e., away from the implant neighborhood) due to implantation. Implant material combinations have less impact on tibia bone stress. The present outcome recommended that ceramic can be used as a substitute for metal and CFR-PEEK as an alternate to UHMWPE owing to the high metal release of metal and UHMWPE for long-standing attainment of the prosthetic components.