Abaqus Knee Simulator

Table of Content
Introduction
Installation and conventions
Knee parts
Test suites
Workflows
Appendix
References

Introduction
What is the knee simulator?
Abaqus Knee Simulator (AKS) is an automated modeling tool for building
advanced knee implant simulations based on a validated framework
Abaqus Knee Simulator includes five workflows which cover various aspects
of knee implant design evaluation:
Contact mechanics
Implant constraint
TibioFemoral (TF) constraint
Wear simulator
Basic Total Knee Replacement (TKR) loading

Introduction
Import geometries

Step by Step

Build test suite

Set-up each workflow
Import
parts

Create
test suite

Check for interference

Check for
interference

Adjust positioning

Define output requests

Set simulation options

Define output
requests

Adjust
positioning

Run analysis and monitor

progress

Set simulation
options

Visualize results

Run analysis and

monitor progress

Visualize
results

Introduction
GUI Overview
AKS panel includes the Knee Parts tab and the Test Suites tab

AKS panel

Introduction
Knee implant components are imported into AKS using
the Knee Parts tab
Test suites which are repositories of workflows are
created using the Test Suites tab

Introduction
Designer and Analyst modes

Switches between the two modes

The simulator has two interface modes

The designer mode provides a streamlined interface for performing knee
implant simulation
The analyst mode extends the designer mode by providing full accesses to
features of Abaqus/CAE

Designer mode

Analyst mode

Introduction
For both modes, everything you need to build a simulation is
collected in a single panel where you specify
output requests
simulation options
result visualization options

Output request

Simulation options

Result visualization

Installation and Conventions

Installation and execution

Here are the steps:

Abaqus Knee Simulator comes with

all Abaqus/CAE installation on

1. Install Abaqus/CAE on Windows

platform

Windows platform
Special license is required to enable
AKS
Enter the following command in a
command line window to start
Abaqus Knee Simulator
abaqus kneeapp

2. Install license file with Abaqus Knee

Simulator feature enabled

3. Open command line window

4. Enter: abaqus kneeapp

Installation and Conventions

Platform
AKS GUI is only supported for Window platform including win32 and win64
The analysis generated by AKS can be solved using other platforms
supported by Abaqus/Explicit except for the wear simulator which requires
compiled user subroutine library for the specific platform
Please contact our local office for the library file

Unit system
As AKS provides a set of human knee geometry and material properties, it
requires user input and geometries to use the same consistent unit system:
length: mm | force: N | pressure: MPa

Knee Parts
Sources of implant geometries
From neutral geometry files exported
from CAD
SAT, IGES, STEP, etc.

From associative CAD interfaces

Pro/E, SolidWorks, CATIA V5, NX

Note the associative interface license need to be acquired separately

From existing CAE model

The user can copy existing CAE parts into the KneeSim-Parts model to be used by
AKS

Knee Parts
Knee type
The knee anatomy (bones, soft tissues)
provided in the simulator belongs to a right
knee
The user can import either right knee or a left
knee implants
If left knee implants are imported, they will be
mirrored to right knee implants to be consistent
with the anatomy

Knee Parts
Implant geometry landmarks
Femur component
A plane parallel to the frontal plane of the body
Dwell (lowest) point for medial and lateral condyle
surface

Knee Parts
Implant geometry landmarks
Tibia component
A plane parallel to the transverse plane of
the body
Dwell (lowest) point for medial and lateral
condyle surface

Knee Parts
Implant geometry landmarks
Patella component
A plane parallel to the frontal plane
A point on the medial side
A point on the posterior side

Knee Parts
Dwell points
If a mistake is made to the dwell point, you have
the option to either edit or swap the dwell points
by right-mouse-click on the imported part

Sets and surfaces

Sets and surfaces can also be created for output
purposes
Sets and surfaces created in Knee Parts tab will
be available to all test suites created afterwards

Knee Parts
Meshing
The femur and patellar button components are mesh automatically upon
import
Femur component as rigid triangle elements
Patellar button as 2nd order tetrahedron elements

The parts are seeded with a default element size calculated based on the
geometry landmarks

Knee Parts
Meshing
Two elliptical partitions with user-specified major and minor radii of the
ellipses are created on the tibial insert to provide automated hexahedral
mesh for the area in contact with the femur component

Test Suites
Build a test suite

Here are the steps:

1. Single click on Add Test Suite
2. Give a suite name
3. Select parts to be included in the test
suite
4. Select material model for each part

5. Select workflows
6. Select modeling space (only
applicable for TF constraint and basic
TKR loading workflows
7. Select bundle type (only applicable for
basic TKR loading workflow

Test Suites
Set up workflows
Remove interference between
implant parts

Here are the steps:

1. Right-mouse-click on the workflow to
access inference check
2. Surfaces with interference will be

highlighted
3. Right-mouse-click on Parts to access

positioning options
4. Repeat step 1-3 until there is no
interference between the parts

Note: interference between anatomy and

implants can be ignored

Test Suites
Set up workflows
Set output request

Here are the steps:

1. Select sets for outputs
a. Sets can be created on-the-fly
2. Select surfaces for outputs
a. Surfaces can be created onthe-fly
3. Pick output variables
a. Specific sets/surfaces can be
selected

The variables may be different from one

workflow to another

Test Suites
Set up workflows

Here are the steps:

Set simulation options

1. Choose deformable or rigid insert
a. Rigid insert could be used for
kinematic and contact forces
evaluation with significant
computational savings and little
compromise on accuracy
2. Select platform type
3. Input joint load

4. Enter knee flexion angle

5. Set workflow-specific options which is

discussed in details later on

6. Set job submission options, write

input and submit job

Test Suites

Set up workflows

Here are the steps:

Visualize results
1. Retrieve AKS results
2. Select results variable to be visualized
3. Select location of the variable
4. Choose X axis quantity to be time or
flexion angle
5. Select analysis step
6. Pick specific flexion angel
7. Visualize with various options
Note: Results output as a function of flexion
angle need to be exported as a text file
and graphically visualized externally

Workflows
Contact mechanics workflow
Objective: predict contact mechanics and
stresses of the components under basic
loading conditions, and facilitate comparison
of devices
A constant or varying compressive load is
applied to the femoral component, with a
prescribed medial-lateral load distribution,
to bring the implants into contact

Workflows
Contact mechanics workflow
The femoral component is flexed to a prescribed
flexion angle, with choices of fixed or free degrees-offreedom for medial-lateral (M-L) translation, internalexternal (I-E) rotation and varus-valgus (V-V) rotation
Contact area, peak and average contact pressure, and
stress in the components are reported throughout the
simulation

Workflows
Implant constraints workflow
Objective: Evaluate the laxity for a set of femoral and
tibial components without surrounding soft tissue
structures
Anterior-posterior (A-P) displacement, internal-external
(I-E) rotation and medial-lateral (M-L) displacement
tests available

Workflows
Implant constraints workflow
For a given test
a displacement or rotation is applied in both directions
under a prescribed compressive load
with fixed or free options for the remaining degrees-of-

freedom
the force or torque generated on the insert is measured

Workflows
Implant constraints workflow
The tests may be preformed at a series of flexion angles
Kinematic, force, contact mechanics and stress data is
produced from each test

Workflows
Tibiofemoral (TF) constraints workflow
Objective: describe the laxity of the
tibiofemoral joint, with physiological
ligamentous constraint, for a specific implant
design
The workflow includes femur and tibia bones,
femoral and tibial components, plus 1-D or 2D representation of the primary ligaments
crossing the tibiofemoral joint

Workflows
Tibiofemoral (TF) constraints workflow
Ligaments can be selectively included or omitted
from the analysis
to represent situations such as a posterior-stabilized
implant (no posterior cruciate ligament)
or to represent tibiofemoral joint with torn or weak

ligaments

Workflows
Tibiofemoral (TF) constraints workflow
A compressive load is applied and a series of
laxity tests (A-P, I-E and V-V), performed at
prescribed flexion angles, are available
For each test, a load (an A-P force, I-E torque or
V-V torque) is applied to the joint, with remaining
degrees-of-freedom selected as either fixed or
free

Workflows
Tibiofemoral (TF) constraints workflow
Ligament mechanical properties (initial tension,
linear stiffness) can be adjusted to evaluate the
influence of variability in ligament properties, or
to recreate specimen-specific data
Location of femur, tibia and their associated
ligament attachment sites can be shifted
Six-degree-of-freedom kinematics, ligament
forces, insert forces, stresses and contact
mechanics are available as outputs

Workflows
Wear simulator workflow
Objective: predict wear (wear volume, maximum linear
wear depth, and average linear wear) over a
prescribed number of cycles
Femoral and tibial components only (no bone or softtissue) are included in the analysis
Mechanical restraint is provided in the anterior and
posterior directions to simulate behavior of the
cruciate ligaments

Workflows
Wear simulator workflow
A typical gait cycle, taken from ISO standards,
including flexion profile, compressive load, A-P
force and I-E torque is simulated
Linear Archards Law or Cross-shear wear
algorithms may be selected to predict wear on the
insert

Workflows
Basic total knee replacement (TKR) loading
workflow
Objective: evaluate tibiofemoral and
patellofemoral kinematics, contact mechanics,
component stress, ligament and muscle forces
under physiological loading conditions for a
variety of activities of daily living
In addition to femoral and tibial bones and
components, and 1-D and 2-D soft-tissue
representation, the extensor mechanism (patella
bone, patellar implant, patellar tendon and
quadriceps) is also represented in the model

Workflows
Basic total knee replacement (TKR) loading
workflow
The quadriceps could be either represented as
a single bundle, or as multiple bundles,
including medial and lateral longus and
oblique structures
A variety of activities (gait, squat, chair-rise,
stepdown) may be simulated, with loading
profiles dependent on the choice of activity

Workflows
Basic total knee replacement (TKR) loading
workflow
A (activity-dependent) flexion profile is applied
to the femur, while quadriceps force is
distributed among the quadriceps bundles

Appendix
Abbreviation

Full Name

Abbreviation

Full Name

LCL

Lateral Collateral Ligament

LCLA_SP

Anterior Lateral Collateral Ligament

SMCL

Medial Collateral Ligament

LCLM_SP

Medial Lateral Collateral Ligament

ALS

Anterior Lateral Structure

LCLP_SP

Posterior Lateral Collateral Ligament

PFL

Popliteofibular ligament

SMCLA_SP

Anterior Medial Collateral Ligament

OPL

Oblique popliteal ligament

SMCLM_SP

Medial Medial Collateral Ligament

PCL

Posterior Cruciate Ligament

SMCLP_SP

Posterior Medial Collateral Ligament

PCAPL

Lateral Posterior Capsule

ALS_SP

Anterior Lateral Structure

PCAPM

Medial Posterior Capsule

PFL_SP

Popliteofibular ligament

OPL_SP

Oblique popliteal ligament

alPCL_SP

Posterior Cruciate Ligament

pmPCL_SP

Postero-medial Posterior Cruciate Ligament

Table 1. Reference for Cut Ligaments Abbreviation

Abbreviation

Full Name

FIBER_PL

Patella Ligament

FIBER_RF

Rectus Femoris

FIBER_VASTI

Vasti

Table 3. Reference for Muscle Properties Abbreviation

Table 2. Reference for Ligament Properties Abbreviation

References
The workflows options and corresponding tissue material properties
are based on the following publications
Mark A. Baldwin, Chadd W. Clary, Clare K. Fitzpatrick, James S. Deacy, Lorin P. Maletsky,
Paul J. Rullkoetter, Dynamic finite element knee simulation for evaluation of knee
replacement mechanics, Journal of Biomechanics, Volume 45, Issue 3, 2 February 2012,
Pages 474-483
Lucy A. Knight, Saikat Pal, John C. Coleman, Fred Bronson, Hani Haider, Danny L. Levine,
Mark Taylor, Paul J. Rullkoetter, Comparison of long-term numerical and experimental total
knee replacement wear during simulated gait loading, Journal of Biomechanics, Volume 40,
Issue 7, 2007, Pages 1550-1558
Mark A. Baldwin, Chadd Clary, Lorin P. Maletsky, Paul J. Rullkoetter, Verification of predicted
specimen-specific natural and implanted patellofemoral kinematics during simulated deep
knee bend, Journal of Biomechanics, Volume 42, Issue 14, 16 October 2009, Pages 23412348
Jason P. Halloran, Anthony J. Petrella, Paul J. Rullkoetter, Explicit finite element modeling of
total knee replacement mechanics, Journal of Biomechanics, Volume 38, Issue 2, February
2005, Pages 323-331

References
Fitzpatrick CK, Baldwin MA, Ali AA, Laz PJ, Rullkoetter PJ. Comparison of patellar bone
strain in the natural and implanted knee during simulated deep flexion. J Orthop Res. 2011
Feb;29(2):232-9
Jason P. Halloran, Sarah K. Easley, Anthony J. Petrella, and Paul J. Rullkoetter, Comparison
of Deformable and Elastic Foundation Finite Element Simulations for Predicting Knee
Replacement Mechanics, J. Biomech. Eng. 127, 813 (2005)
Petrella, AJ, Armstrong, JR, Laz, PJ, Rullkoetter, PJ, A novel cross-shear metric for
application in computer simulation of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene wear,
Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, (in press).