RESUMO
This study presents an evaluation of the role that cartilage fibre 'split line' orientation plays in informing femoral cartilage stress patterns. A two-stage model is presented consisting of a whole knee joint coupled to a tissue-level cartilage model for computational efficiency. The whole joint model may be easily customised to any MRI or CT geometry using free-form deformation. Three 'split line' patterns (medial-lateral, anterior-posterior and random) were implemented in a finite element model with constitutive properties referring to this 'split line' orientation as a finite element fibre field. The medial-lateral orientation was similar to anatomy and was derived from imaging studies. Model predictions showed that 'split lines' are formed along the line of maximum principal strains and may have a biomechanical role of protecting the cartilage by limiting the cartilage deformation to the area of higher cartilage thickness.
