Magnetic Force Can Reduce Mechanical Load on the Knee Joint Surface. An Experimental Study

Objective: Degenerative osteoarthritis is one of the most important orthopedic disorders today. Many treatment methods have been developed for osteoarthritis in the knee joint. Excessive mechanical load on the cartilage in medial osteoarthritis of the knee causes both progression of degeneration and increased symptoms. On the other hand, the use of magnetic field in health is becoming increasingly common with the developing technology. This study aimed to investigate the use of magnetic power to reduce the mechanical load pressure on the knee joint.Methods: Two different models were created by setting up a joint model containing oppositely placed magnets. In the first model, magnets placed outside the joint were used, while in the second model, magnets placed inside the joint were used. The forces applied to the femur in increasing amounts and the loads transmitted from the femur to the tibia were recorded until joint contact was achieved.Results: At the moment of contact between the two joint surfaces, 58.45 newtons of load was transmitted in the extra-articular model, while 97.48 newtons of maximum load was transmitted in the intra-articular model.Conclusion: Part of the load on the knee joint surfaces was transferred from the femur to the tibia by magnetic force. It has been demonstrated that the mechanical load pressure on the joint surfaces can be experimentally reduced using this method.