Generating Parameters of a Multi-Body Meniscus Model From Experimental Data

The meniscus is a crucial anatomical structure in the mechanics of vertebrate hind legs [3]. Menisci function primarily by distributing the tibio-femoral contact forces, and thereby reducing the stress in the articular cartilage of the knee joint. As the meniscus is a flexible body that undergoes large strains, it is typically ignored in rigid-body biomechanical simulations. One documented method of including this factor in the multi-body framework is to represent the menisci as discrete bodies connected by linear 6-axis spring and damper elements [2]. The difficulty arises in determining the stiffnesses and viscosities that correspond to the material properties of the real meniscus. Material properties have previously been determined by a design of experiments approach to match the force displacement behavior of a multi-body model to a linear finite element model. This study explores a method of determining the said properties from experimental data collected in a semi-physiological loading, where the force orientation is principally circumferential tension and compression in the other directions.