Muscle, ligament, and joint-contact forces at the knee during walking

Abstract

PURPOSE: In vivo measurement of the forces and strains in human tissues is currently impracticable. Computer modeling and simulation allows estimates of these quantities to be obtained noninvasively. This paper reviews our recent work on muscle, ligament, and joint loading at the knee during gait. METHODS: Muscle and ground-reaction forces obtained from a sophisticated computer simulation of walking were input into a detailed model of the lower limb to obtain ligament and joint-contact loading at the knee for one full cycle of gait. RESULTS: Peak anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) force occurred in early stance and was mainly determined by the anterior pull of the patellar tendon on the tibia...