Contact area and pressure distribution in the feline patellofemoral joint under physiologically meaningful loading conditions

The purpose of this study was to determine contact area and mean and peak pressures in the healthy feline patellofemoral joint over the complete range of possible applied force. Furthermore, we wanted to improve upon the repeatability of previous measurements while maximizing the physiological relevance of the results obtained. The patellae and femora were secured in a loading frame approximating an in situ loading configuration. Low- and medium-grade Fuji film was used to assess patellofemoral contact area and pressure distribution, respectively. Constant force was applied to the patellofemoral joints for 2 s (short duration trials) or 5 min (long duration trials). For the short duration trials, contact area was shown to increase logarithmically with the force applied. In contrast, mean and peak pressures increased linearly with force. Furthermore, the rate of increase of peak pressure with force was approximately three times greater than that of mean pressure. For the long duration trials, contact area increased up to 33% compared to the short duration trials. This effect could no longer be detected with our approach after an unloading period of 5–10 s. Increasing contact area is one mechanism that the feline patellofemoral joint may use to regulate the pressures experienced by the cartilage as the force applied to the joint increases. The attenuation of external forces inside a joint is achieved by the specific geometry of the articulating surfaces and the viscoelastic properties of the articular cartilage. It likely represents a natural protection of joints to high external load magnitudes.