Biomechanical analysis of patient-specific knee pathologies and treatments: a musculoskeletal modelling investigation

In knee trauma, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, the mechanical environment of the joint is altered. Patients with ACL-deficient knees can experience increased incidence of knee osteoarthritis (OA), leading to the need for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Understanding knee joint mechanics is imperative to improving surgery and patient outcomes. This thesis aimed to use musculoskeletal modelling to assess knee pathologies and treatments by developing a validated patient-specific musculoskeletal knee model to predict joint biomechanics in ACL-deficient and reconstructed knees; and examining changes in kinetics and kinematics of OA patients during dynamic activities before and after TKA.