Browsing by Author "Joubert, Ebard"
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- ItemDesign and validation of a hip and quadriceps assembly mechanism for a knee squat simulator(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University., 2020-03) Joubert, Ebard; Van der Merwe, Johan; Muller, Jacobus Hendrik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Given the prevalence of osteoarthritis, knee implants are continuously being improved. In vitro experiments can be used to evaluate the performance of an implant by investigating biomechanical behaviour of the knee joint inside a dynamic knee simulator that reproduces knee loading by inducing a force on the quadriceps muscles. This dissertation deals with the design and verification of such a knee simulator that can autonomously perform a squat motion. Artificial knees were constructed to be tested in the machine, with a posterior stabilised knee implant fixed to it. An optical position sensor was used to track the motion of the knee joint in order to describe the relative motion between components in the joint. Knee kinematics and the quadriceps forces were evaluated and validated against previous literature findings. The knee simulator was proved to deliver repeatable results and the artificial knees demonstrated accurate biomechanical behaviour while performing squat motions.