Rigid body simulation exploring the kinematics of a floating meniscal bearing total ankle replacement

Far a floating-meniscal-bearing total ankle replacement, a rigid body kinematic model was used to evaluate the relationships which can occur between anterior-posterior sliding, the representative ligament elongation required for sliding to occur, and the location of the instantaneous axis of rotation between the tibia and talus. Sliding and representative ligament elongation were evaluated as functions of flexion angle. Sliding of the tibial component can kinematically accommodate offset of the axis of rotation in the sagittal plane, but for AP offsets this requires substantial elongation of the ligamentous constraints. As a result, this mechanism can contribute only partially to reducing the effects of component malpositioning