Comparison of mechanical stresses between in-silico models of an osteochondral setup and the human knee joint

Mechanical stimulus is one of the key factors that decide fate of chondrocytes in context of endochondral ossification. An osteochondral setup can be used to study the effect of mechanical stimulus on chondrocyte fate. In this paper, finite element models of the human knee joint and an osteochondral setup are developed to compare the stresses generated in the articular cartilage in both cases. The results of the simulations show that 5% strain as a boundary condition in the ex vivo setup generates similar stresses in the articular cartilage of the osteochondral graft when compared to the human knee joint.