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. 2022 Jan 19;23(1):70.
doi: 10.1186/s12891-021-04982-3.

Finite element stress analysis of the bearing component and bone resected surfaces for total ankle replacement with different implant material combinations

Jian Yu #  1 , Dahang Zhao #  2 , Wen-Ming Chen #  3 , Pengfei Chu  3 , Shuo Wang  1 , Chao Zhang  1 , Jiazhang Huang  1 , Xu Wang  1 , Xin Ma  4   5
Affiliations

Finite element stress analysis of the bearing component and bone resected surfaces for total ankle replacement with different implant material combinations

Jian Yu et al. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. .

Abstract

Background: A proper combination of implant materials for Total Ankle Replacement (TAR) may reduce stress at the bearing component and the resected surfaces of the tibia and talus, thus avoiding implant failure of the bearing component or aseptic loosening at the bone-implant interface.

Methods: A comprehensive finite element foot model implanted with the INBONE II implant system was created and the loading at the second peak of ground reaction force was simulated. Twelve material combinations including four materials for tibial and talar components (Ceramic, CoCrMo, Ti6Al4V, CFR-PEEK) and three materials for bearing components (CFR-PEEK, PEEK, and UHMWPE) were analyzed. Von Mises stress at the top and articular surfaces of the bearing component and the resected surfaces of the tibia and talus were recorded.

Results: The stress at both the top and articular surfaces of the bearing component could be greatly reduced with more compliant bearing materials (44.76 to 72.77% difference of peak stress value), and to a lesser extent with more compliant materials for the tibial and talar components (0.94 to 28.09% difference of peak stress value). Peak stresses at both the tibial and talar bone-implant interface could be reduced more strongly by using tibial and talar component materials with smaller material stiffness (7.31 to 66.95% difference of peak stress value) compared with bearing materials with smaller material stiffness (1.11 to 24.77% difference of peak stress value).

Conclusions: Implant components with smaller material stiffness provided a stress reduction at the bearing component and resected surfaces of the tibia and talus. The selection of CFR-PEEK as the material of tibial and talar components and UHMWPE as the material of the bearing component seemed to be a promising material combination for TAR implants. Wear testing and long-term failure analysis of TAR implants with these materials should be included in future studies.

Keywords: Computational modeling; Finite element method; Implant design; Implant material selection; Total ankle arthroplasty; Total ankle replacement.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
X-ray images of the INBONE II implant system. Intra-operative anterior-posterior and lateral fluoroscopic images of the ankle with INBONE II implant system. (Image courtesy of Wright Medical Technology, Inc., Memphis, TN, US)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The stress-strain curve of the UHMWPE material [43]
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
An illustration of the finite element foot model implanted with INBONE II implant system (Tibial component size: size 2 long. Bearing size: size 2 polyethylene insert with 6 mm thickness. Talar component size: size 2)
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
The plantar pressure of the foot (a) and von Mises stress distribution at the articular surface of the bearing component (b) (Implant material: Ti6Al4V as tibial component material, UHMWPE as bearing material, and CrCoMo as talar component material)
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
The von Mises stress distribution at the resected surface of the tibia for different implant material combinations
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
The von Mises stress distribution at the top surface of the bearing component for different implant material combinations
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
The von Mises stress distribution at the articular surface of the bearing component for different material combinations
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
The von Mises stress distribution at the resected surface of the talus for different implant material combinations
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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