knee simulators

Knee Wear Simulator

The Prosim Knee Wear Simulator is a multi-station machine designed for the reliable and repeatable testing of knee implants, providing designers and developers of replacement knee joints with a cost-effective and accurate means of measuring wear under realistic in-vivo simulated conditions.

A combination of servo-motors and pneumatics, driven by closed loop, real-time feedback circuits, provides an effective way of accurately simulating the range of forces and motions that knee implants are subjected to in everyday life. As part of the next step in the evolution of its simulators Prosim has committed to the development of fully electro-mechanical systems that can operate up to and beyond the ISO standard and provide a cleaner, more cost-effective alternative to hydraulic systems.

Empirical data generated by our simulators over the last ten years supports the assertion that the patterns of wear of hip implants tested in Prosim Knee Wear Simulators accurately mirrors that of the wear of implants extracted from humans after years of use.

The Prosim Knee Wear Simulator includes numerous features and benefits:

• up to six knee implants can be tested simultaneously
• five axes of articulation
• single load axis per station
• simple user programmability of any articulation/load cycle
• any station can be isolated from articulation to allow creep measurement to be made
• targeted at tracking the walking cycle as defined in ISO/CD 14243-1
• operating frequency of motions programmable up to 1 Hz
• capable of running programmed sequences of walking, jogging, running and periods of rest
• up to +/-90 degrees of programmable motion on the flexion extension axis
• up to +/-10 degrees of programmable motion on the tibial rotation axis
• up to +/-10 degrees of uncontrolled motion on aduction/abduction axis
• up to +/-10mm of fixed positioning on medial/lateral axis
• user programmable loading up to 4.5 kN per station
• can incorporate deep flexion bending
• easy to use Windows operator screen
• real-time logging of position and load allows instant verification of test cycle
• clinically and physiologically representative testing

Prosim is able to offer customisation of its simulators to meet client's specific testing requirements.

To access Professor John Fisher's published academic papers relating to the wear testing of knee implants using Prosim Knee Simulators please click here.

Click to view the range:

product overview

hip wear simulator

hip friction simulator

knee wear simulator

knee friction simulator

spine wear simulator

spine fatigue
simulator

academic papers

case studies