Topology Optimization of a Prosthetic Knee Joint Component

Abstract

In order to simulate the damping effect of cartilage at human’s knee joint, the component of a prosthetic knee joint is topology optimized as a compliant mechanism. After optimization, the component not only has the desired damping effect, but also has a lightweight structure, which is still capable of withstanding the prescribed loads. The SIMP (Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization) interpolation scheme for topology optimization is used here with OC (Optimality Criteria) method as optimizer. The optimization is implemented by a MATLAB code. A proof test by ANSYS has shown that the optimized component with Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) as material has a displacement about 1.65 mm within constraints of material volume and strength.