Fiber grating sensor for pressure mapping during total knee arthroplasty

Pressure mapping at the knee joint provides information regarding the contact stress, contact area and the alignment of the tibiofemoral interface. In this paper, preliminary cadaveric studies of a pressure-mapping sensor are presented. The sensor is made of fiber Bragg grating arrays embedded into the tibial spacer. The sensor can be used for in vitro and in vivo studies of the tibiofemoral interface. The results show that the sensor can detect malalignment and distribution of contact stresses in extension and flexion. This pressure-mapping tibial spacer sensor can be used for alignment of prostheses during total knee joint replacement surgery.