2022 Undergraduate Research Showcase
Document Type
Student Presentation
Presentation Date
4-22-2022
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Trevor J. Lujan
Abstract
Overuse and mechanical wear in meniscus tissue can increase the risk of osteoarthritis progression. In order to help prevent the advancement of this debilitating disease, meniscus tissue wear must be better understood. Current studies have investigated the friction properties of meniscus tissue samples, however wear parameters have yet to be examined. Multidirectional motion has been shown to produce clinically relevant wear rates in polyethylene joint replacements, in comparison to unidirectional motion. Therefore, to better understand physiologically relevant wear in meniscus tissue, the purpose of this project was to design a simple and repeatable test fixture that could apply multidirectional loading to sectioned human meniscus specimens. The two directions of loading (oscillating linear translations of 4 mm and continuous axial rotation at 1 RPM) were chosen to mimic the physiological loading conditions (anterior-posterior translation and tibial rotation) occurring within the knee joint. The test system was designed to mimic roughly 50% of expected physiological loads. This test fixture will enable us to characterize human meniscus wear properties that can be used to determine activities that induce wear and degeneration in soft tissue.
Recommended Citation
Pinkley, Zachary A.; Benfield, Kate J.; and Lujan, Trevor J., "Development of a Pin-On-Disk Test Fixture to Quantify Meniscus Wear Parameters" (2022). 2022 Undergraduate Research Showcase. 78.
https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/under_showcase_2022/78