Pressure distribution in the knee joint. Influence of flexion with and without ligament dissection.

Biomechanical factors influencing the patterns of pressure distribution at the articular surface and the subchondral bone are suggested to be most important in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis and osteochondritis dissecans at the knee joint. Besides this, chronic joint instability is another important factor under discussion in the etiology of osteoarthritis of the knee. The patterns of pressure distribution on the femoral condyles of weight-bearing knee joints were investigated in a biostatic cadaver model. The pressure on the femoral condyles was evaluated using pressure-sensitive films with the knee in different physiological joint positions (extension, 15 degrees and 30 degrees flexion) with and without division of either the medial collateral ligament (MCL), the lateral collateral ligament (LCL), the MCL and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), or the LCL and the ACL. Results showed that the location of the contact area and peak pressure depended on the joint position and stage of ligament division. Without ligament division the maximum peak pressure was always observed on the medial condyle. Only after MCL and combined MCL + ACL division did the lateral condyle show in extension a higher peak pressure than the medial condyle. Division of the LCL and LCL + ACL resulted in an increase in peak pressure on the medial condyle, particularly in flexion. The highest peak pressure of all was measured in the 30 degrees flexion position on the medial condyle after division of the LCL. The lowest at all was found on the lateral condyle in 15 degrees flexion after LCL division. Additional ACL division resulted in only minor further changes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)