Abstract: BACKGROUND: At present, finite element analysis is mostly used in the simulation study of wear of the total knee prosthesis pad.  
OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of shape optimization for the tibial insert of the unicompartmental knee prosthesis on wear performance using finite element analysis. 
METHODS: Based on the Archard wear theory, the wear finite element model of the unicompartmental knee prosthesis was established. The contact pressure and wear performance of the tibial insert before and after optimization were studied. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Under the condition of ISO standard gait load, for the contact pressure, the tibial insert contact pressure before and after optimization was 54.7 MPa and 37.2 MPa, respectively, and the tibial insert contact pressure was reduced by 32%. For linear wear, the linear wear of the tibial insert before and after optimization was 4.38×10-5 mm and 3.15×10-5 mm, respectively, and the linear wear depth of the tibial insert was reduced by 28%. (2) The results show that the liner wear performance can be significantly improved after optimization. The results of the study have practical significance for unicompartmental knee tibial insert design, wear performance assessment and clinical application.

Key words: bone, material, prosthesis, unicompartmental knee prosthesis, tibial insert optimization, gait load, wear simulation