Osteoarthritis is a prevalent degenerative joint disease characterized by the breakdown of cartilage, leading to pain, stiffness, and reduced joint function. The knee accounts for 83% of the total OA disability burden and is by far the most incapacitating type of OA. There is currently no cure for OA and treatment approaches are aimed at symptom management. High tibial osteotomy (HTO) is a surgical intervention designed to address osteoarthritis. Knee osteotomies are performed by making an angulated cut in the bone and creating a wedge that realigns the joint and shifts the weight-bearing line away from the affected compartment. Research suggests that the MCL is strained during osteotomy opening, leading to potential abnormal pressure distributions across the tibial plateau. However, it remains unclear which osteotomy parameters influence this strain and the impact of additional/residual strain on MCL on pressure distribution. The aim of this research is to measure the MCL strain at various simulated osteotomy corrections (e.g., gap opening levels such as under-correction, specimen-specific optimal correction, and over-correction) and calculate the resulting pressure distribution on the tibial plateau on a 3D human knee model.
