BIOMECHANICAL MODEL OF THE PATELLA IN NORMAL CONDITIONS AND WITH RUPTURE OF THE MEDIAL PATELLOFEMORAL LIGAMENT

The aim of the study is to develop a biomechanical model of the knee joint with a detailed representation of the patellofemoral segment, taking into account the normal anatomy of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles, and to study the movement of the patella during passive knee flexion.
Materials and Methods: The model architecture was created using the OpenSim platform. The model includes a 6-DOF patellofemoral joint, patellar stabilizers—medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL), medial patellotibial ligament (MPTL), lateral retinaculum (LR), and patellar contact surfaces. Gmsh and Paraview were used to create contact surfaces. Simulations of passive knee flexion with sequential exclusion of patellar stabilizers were performed to evaluate their effect on patellar motion.
Results: The developed biomechanical model allows a detailed analysis of the normal dynamics of the patella and the role of various anatomical structures in its functioning, which makes it suitable for further research. An experiment involving all ligaments shows the physiological norm. Disabling the MPTL has minimal effect on patellar tilt and movement due to its small size. Deactivation of the MPFL results in increased lateral tilt and patellar displacement. Deactivation of LR components 1 and 2 causes greater medial tilt and displacement, and deactivation of LR components 3 and 4 results in increased lateral displacement and small additional medial tilt.

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