Simulation and Verification of Contact Stress in Single-Condyle Knee Joints Under High Flexion Conditions

Due to its smaller articular surface and the ability to preserve more healthy tissue, unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) has been increasingly emphasized in surgery. However, by retaining the cruciate ligaments, UKA significantly enhances joint mobility compared to total knee arthroplasty (TKA), consequently allowing for a greater maximum flexion angle and thereby presenting more potential failure modes. In this study, we investigated the contact stress in high flexion angles of the unicondylar knee joint. Finite element models were established at flexion angles of 0°, 90°, 155°, and 155° with 15° of internal rotation. Subsequently, physical experiments and finite element simulations were conducted under the same experimental parameters to compare the contact stresses obtained from both approaches, thus validating the effectiveness of the finite element model constructed in this study.