INTRODUCTION: The interdependence of the functioning of joint tissues with concomitant effects on joint and tissue health
has led researchers at the McCaig Institute to investigate joint injury and disease from a holistic perspective. Biochemical, histological and mechanical analyses are performed on each joint and interrelations examined. To investigate the mechanical component of joint health, the in vivo kinematics of a joint are reproduced in vitro on the same joint to determine the kinetic response of that joint to different treatments, disease states and or surgical procedures. The joint used in our studies is the ovine stifle. A highly significant factor in the methodology is the accuracy of the reproduced motion. The motion is reproduced with our parallel robot, to which we attach the femur, while the tibia is attached to a rigid, fixed load frame.
