A subject-specific collagen architecture of cartilage, obtained from T(2) mapping of 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative), was implemented into a 2D finite element model of a knee joint with fibril-reinforced poroviscoelastic cartilage properties. For comparison, we created two models with alternative collagen architectures, addressing the potential inaccuracies caused by the nonoptimal estimation of the collagen architecture from MRI. Also two models with constant depth-dependent zone thicknesses obtained from literature were created. The mechanical behavior of the models were analyzed and compared under axial impact loading of 846N. Compared to the model with patient-specific collagen architecture, the cartilage model without tangentially oriented collagen fibrils in the superficial zone showed up to 69% decrease in maximum principal stress and fibril strain and 35% and 13% increase in maximum principal strain and pore pressure, respectively, in the superficial layers of the cartilage. The model with increased thickness for the superficial and middle zones, as obtained from the literature, demonstrated at most 73% increase in stress, 143% increase in fibril strain, and 26% and 23% decrease in strain and pore pressure, respectively, in the intermediate cartilage. The present results demonstrate that the computational model of a knee joint with the collagen architecture of cartilage estimated from patient-specific MRI or literature lead to different stress and strain distributions. The findings also suggest that minor errors in the analysis of collagen architecture from MRI, for example due to the analysis method or MRI resolution, can lead to alterations in knee joint stresses and strains.
Copyright © 2012 Orthopaedic Research Society.