An intelligent knee joint force tracking and balancing system using ANN
Authors: Noroozi, S., Al-Nasser, S., Aslani, N. and Harvey, A.
Journal: 19th International Conference on Condition Monitoring and Asset Management, CM 2023
ISBN: 9780903132817
DOI: 10.1784/cm2023.4f3
Abstract:The knee joint is a complex joint in the body. It is one of the most active joints in the body. It also experiences some of the most extreme loads encountered during walking, running, jumping, etc. Damage due to arthritis or trauma or sports injuries can often result in Total Knee Replacement (TKR) surgery where implants are manufactured by a variety of implant manufacturers. Lima, Zimmer, Johnson & Johnson, Stryker, etc are among many of the companies supplying these implants. The initial tension in the joint is set by the surgeon using feel and touch which has always been controversial and subjective. It is heavily dependent on the skill and experience of the surgeons and is performed in an artisan fashion. In such cases, surgeons rely upon their natural haptic feedback to decide if the initial tension is adequate. Depending on the size of the patient’s limbs or the doctor, these settings can vary substantially. Currently, there is no unique tool that can tell surgeons what the actual tension in the tendons or contact force in the joint is in terms of Newton's force and if the compartmental forces are balanced or not. The intensity of this load plus the additional force during walking or running will dictate the ultimate load the new knee joint had to handle. Poor load balance during surgery can result in premature failure of the knee due to excess wear or fracture of the bones or dislocation. Surgeons are longing for a load transducer that can measure and track the joint surface contact point during the surgery and give real-time information about contact forces and their location at any position or orientation of the knee joint. This paper examines two of the existing sensors through publications and proposed one that appears to be the most suitable.
Source: Scopus