Effects of interference assembly of a tibial insert on the tibiofemoral contact mechanics in total knee replacement

Tibial locking mechanism design is adopted to limit the backside micromotion in fixed-bearing total knee replacement. However, the effect of the interference assembly of a tibial insert on the tibiofemoral contact mechanics was usually ignored. Finite element model of a fixed-bearing total knee replacement with full peripheral locking mechanism was established to simulate the interference assembly of the tibial insert, and the corresponding effects on the tibiofemoral contact mechanics were predicted. Due to the interference assembly of the tibial insert, a maximum Mises stress of 3.24 MPa was found for the tibial insert before loading. Furthermore, the contact stress was increased by 8.77%, and the contact area was decreased by 5.43% under peak load. The interference assembly of the tibial insert in a fixed-bearing total knee replacement changed the tibiofemoral contact mechanics. This study indicated that the level of interference fit should be cautiously designed for the tibial locking mechanism in fixed-bearing total knee replacement for balancing the articular surface wear and the backside wear of the modular tibial insert.