Are subject-specific models necessary to predict patellar tendon fatigue life? A finite element modelling study

Colin R. Firminger, Ifaz T. Haider, Olivia L. Bruce, John W. Wannop, Darren J. Stefanyshyn and W. Brent Edwards

Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, 2022, vol. 25, issue 7, 729-739

Abstract: Patellar tendinopathy is an overuse injury that occurs from repetitive loading of the patellar tendon in a scenario resembling that of mechanical fatigue. As such, fatigue-life estimates provide a quantifiable approach to assess tendinopathy risk and may be tabulated using nominal strain (NS) or finite element (FE) models with varied subject-specificity. We compared patellar tendon fatigue-life estimates from NS and FE models of twenty-nine athletes performing countermovement jumps with subject-specific versus generic geometry and material properties. Subject-specific patellar tendon material properties and geometry were obtained using a data collection protocol of dynamometry, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging. Three FE models were created for each subject, with: subject-specific (hyperelastic) material properties and geometry, subject-specific material properties and generic geometry, and generic material properties and subject-specific geometry. Four NS models were created for each subject, with: subject-specific (linear elastic) material properties and moment arm, generic material properties and subject-specific moment arm, subject-specific material properties and generic moment arm, and generic material properties and moment arm. NS- and FE-modelled fatigue-life estimates with generic material properties were poorly correlated with their subject-specific counterparts (r2≤0.073), while all NS models overestimated fatigue life compared to the subject-specific FE model (r2≤0.223). Furthermore, FE models with generic tendon geometry were unable to accurately represent the heterogeneous strain distributions found in the subject-specific FE models or those with generic material properties. These findings illustrate the importance of incorporating subject-specific material properties and FE-modelled strain distributions into fatigue-life estimations.

Date: 2022
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/10255842.2021.1975683 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:gcmbxx:v:25:y:2022:i:7:p:729-739

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/gcmb20

DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2021.1975683

Access Statistics for this article

Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering is currently edited by Director of Biomaterials John Middleton

More articles in Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().