31th Danubia-Adria Symposium, Kempten University, Germany, 2014

EMPIRICAL DESCRIPTION OF KNEE ROTATION SEGMENTS

Gbor Katona1, Gusztv Fekete2, Bla M. Csizmadia1
1

Szent Istvn University, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Pter Kroly u. 1, 2100 Gdll,
HUNGARY. E-mails: katona.gabor@gek.szie.hu, csizmadia.bela@gek.szie.hu

University of West Hungary, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Krolyi Gspr tr 4, 9700, Szombathely,
HUNGARY. E-mail: fekete.gusztav@ttk.nyme.hu

Probably the most significant relative motion of

the knee joint is the rotation; therefore a new
aspect of this type of movement is presented in this
current paper which can contribute to the
qualification methods of different, commercial
prostheses.
As a novelty, the rotation curve is described as
a trilinear function. This special description is
based on the fact that the movement of the knee
extension and flexion has been divided up to two
segments: the first segment from 0 to 20 of
flexion angle is called screw-home segment,
where the rotation is constrained, governed by the
contact surfaces, while the segment between 20 to
120 is called active functional arc and this
motion is unconstrained [1]. Between these
segments exists an intermediate section, where the
transition, from constrained to unconstrained
motion, takes place. The determination and
presentation of this intermediate segment, which
has not yet been discussed, is on of the aims of this
paper.
An additional aim is to present a method which
allows translating the initial point of any rotationflexion function into a zero initial rotational point.
This question is well-founded since some authors
provided rotation functions starting from zero
initial rotation [2, 3], while other authors published
these functions from different, non-zero, initial
points [4]. However, no indication has been given
about how, or with what method, the above
mentioned authors translated these functions into
the initial zero rotational point.

2. Methods
In order to achieve these goals, experimental
investigations was carried out with the help of an
adequately designed and manufactured test rig [5].
These experiments were carried post mortem on 6
cadaver subjects, involving 9 knee joints. The
obtained kinematical data was processed in
accordance of a coordinate system defined by
Grood et al. [6] and the project VAKHUM [7].

The process was followed by making a matrix

connection between the coordinate system used for
the experiments and the anatomical coordinate
system [8]. By this matrix equation, the rotation,
flexion and abduction values can be determined in
the anatomical coordinate system. Based on the
obtained experimental results, it was concluded
that the ideal, rotation-flexion function of the
human knee joint can be adequately approximated
with a trilinear curve (Fig. 1).
0

20

40

60

80

100

-10

Rotation []

1. Introduction

-15
-20
Experimental data
Trilinear function

-25
-30

Flexion angle []

Fig. 1. Experimental data and the trilinear function

The domain of the trilinear function is given
between = 0 - 90. The breakpoint of the first
and second segments is threshold of the
constrained (screw-home) motion (1), while the
breakpoint of the second and third segments is the
unconstrained motion (2). The equations of the
functions in case of any knee joints:

j1 ( ) a j1 j 0

j 2 ( ) a j 2 ( 1 ) j10

(1)

j 3 ( ) a j 3 ( 2 ) j 20
The unknown threshold points have been
determined by the use of theory of sample
variance. According to the theory, the fitted
variance of the variables (1, 2), on the complete
domain, has to be minimum.
Therefore the extremity (minimums) of the
sj(1,2) function must be found (Fig.2).

31th Danubia-Adria Symposium, Kempten University, Germany, 2014

Rotation []

20
15
10
5
Reference function Cadaver 2

0
0

Fig. 2. Minimum of the function

The extreme point was calculated by means of
numerical methods, which provides the threshold
breakpoints of the variables (1, 2). After deriving
the results, the trilinear function has been fitted on
the threshold breakpoints. This is followed by the
simple translation of the experimentally gained
data by j0. It has to be noted, that this simple
translation is exclusively applicable on rotation,
since this is the last, third angle defined in the
anatomical coordinate system. Finally, a so-called
reference function can be fitted on the
experimental data (3):

C1 ( ) aC1
C 2 ( ) aC 2 ( 1 ) C10
C 3 ( ) aC 3 ( 2 ) C 20

(3)

3. Results
Finally the threshold breakpoints between the
constrained (1), and the intermediate section (2),
with 95% probability have been determined based
on the theorem of least squares with regard of all
the nine empirical functions:
(4)
1 1 2s1 17,75 0,86 ,
(5)
2 2 2s 42,28 3,84 .
Based on the sufficient number of cadavers and the
natural difference between human knee joints, the
following, rounded, numbers have been appointed
for further use for threshold breakpoints: 1 = 20
and 2 = 40. By the use of these threshold
breakpoints, if the earlier determined trilinear
curve-system (3) should be fitted on any arbitrary
experimental data set, then the constants of the
fitted reference functions, regardless of their
anatomical coordinate systems, can be determined
as well.
2

30

60

Flexion angle []

Fig. 2. Reference function

References
[1] Moglo, K.E., Shirazi-Adl, A., Cruciate
coupling and screw-home mechanism in
passive knee joint during extension-flexion. J
Biomech, 38, 2005, pp. 1075-1083.
[2] Wilson, D.R., Feikes, J.D., Zavatsky, A.B.,
O'Connor J.J., The components of passive knee
movement are coupled to flexion angle, J
Biomech, 33, 2000, pp. 465-473.
[3] Akalan, N.E., Ozkan, M., Temelli, Y., Threedimensional knee model: Constrained by
isometric ligament bundles and experimentally
obtained tibio-femoral contacts, J. Biomech
41, 2008, pp. 890896.
[4] Bull, A.M.J., Kessler, O., Alam, M., Amis A.
A., Changes in Knee Kinematics Reflect the
Articular Geometry after Arthroplast, Clin
Orthop Relate R, 466, 2008, pp. 24912499.
[5] Katona, G., Csizmadia, B.M., Andrnyi, K.
Determination of reference function to knee
prosthesis rating. Biomech Hung, 6, 2013, pp.
293-301.
[6] Grood, E.S. and W.J. Suntay, A joint
coordinate system for the clinical description
of 3-dimensional motions application to the
knee. J Biomech Eng-T ASME, 105, 1983, pp.
136-144.
[7] Hilal, I., Van Sint Jan, S., Leardini, A., Della
Croce, U., D3.2. Technical Report on Data
Collection Procedure ANNEX I. 20. p. In:
Virtual Animation of the Kinematics of the
Human for Industrial, Educational and
Research Purposes. Information Societies
Technology Programme.
[8] Br, I., Csizmadia, B. M., Katona, G.,
Determination of instantaneous axis of rotation
of tibia and its role in the kinematical
investigation of human knee joint. Proc. 3rd
Hung Conf Biomech, 2008, pp. 57-62.

90