Title: FEM-based fatigue analysis on a four-bar polycentric knee of above-knee prostheses

Authors: Mohammad-Reza Sayyed Noorani; Saman Hoseini

Addresses: Mechatronics Engineering Department, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran ' Mechatronics Engineering Department, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract: Developing safe and low-cost artificial lower limbs with long working life is a necessity to help large population of people with amputation to recover the walking ability. So, in this paper we investigate on optimal design of pin components of a four-bar polycentric knee used in above-knee prosthesis. The pins suffer cyclic loads and wearing lead to damage and breakage therein, which is early cause of prosthesis failure. Here, we first exploit the ABAQUS to create a finite element model (FEM), then it is integrated with FE-Safe software to obtain a fatigue life prediction according to Morrow's fatigue criteria. Materials of SUS-304 stainless steel and Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy are examined to achieve a fatigue life of over 3,000,000 cycles to meet the requirements of ISO 10328:2006. Pins with the diameter of 10 mm satisfies the requirements at all three stages of stance phase, i.e., heel strike, midstance, and push off, when SUS-304 is selected.

Keywords: prosthesis; above-knee amputation; finite element method; stress analysis; Morrow's fatigue criteria.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2024.136917

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2024 Vol.44 No.2, pp.120 - 132

Received: 25 Jan 2022
Received in revised form: 09 Nov 2022
Accepted: 18 Mar 2023
Published online: 29 Feb 2024 *

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