Case Study: Clemson University achieves improved knee flexure and reduced quadriceps tendon force variation with Altair HyperWorks

Computational Analysis of Quadriceps Tendon Force Following Total Knee Replacement Surgery Leads to Improved Patient Knee Flexure

Clemson University’s Department of Bioengineering investigated how patellar button sizing after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) affects quadriceps tendon force to address anterior knee pain and impaired knee flexion/extension. The study was conducted with Altair (HyperWorks/HyperMesh) support and aimed to quantify the relationship between patellar component thickness and tendon loading to reduce revision risk.

Altair provided an Altair Fellow (Xin Xie) and HyperMesh-based 3D explicit finite element analyses: MRI-derived knee geometry, surgical resection and implant insertion, and geometrical morphing to create three patellar thickness cases (baseline ±2 mm). Altair’s simulations computed tendon forces across 0–60° flexion, showing peak stress at 60° for all cases and that the thinner patella produced the highest quadriceps tendon force; the results demonstrate that patellar button thickness significantly alters tendon loading during the swing phase and can guide optimal sizing to mitigate anterior knee pain.

Clemson University

Martine LaBerge

Chair, Department of Bioengineering