Influence of Implant Fixation on Tibial Bone Strain after Total Bone Replacement using Specimen-specific Finite Element Models

Description

This presentation, led by Bryony Halcrow from the University of Leeds, focuses on a significant health issue: ankle arthritis, which affects around 72 million people globally. Within the talk, Bryony discusses the challenges of treatment, particularly the clinical performance of Total Ankle Replacement (TAR), which is notably lower than that of other joint replacement procedures. The presentation introduces a study using finite element analysis to estimate the strain experienced by bones implanted with a TAR device, particularly focusing on the fixation conditions post-surgery. The study involved CT scanning five cadaveric ankles and simulating the application of loading conditions to observe how implant fixation affects strain within the surrounding bone. Results show that varying degrees of fixation can lead to significant differences in strain distribution, highlighting that insufficient bone-implant interaction may contribute to clinical failures of TAR. The discussion includes various findings related to the material properties of bones and how they might impact the outcome of surgical interventions like TAR. Ultimately, the analysis suggests that patient-specific variations in bone quality should be considered when determining the suitability of TAR as a treatment option.

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