膝關節是人體中承受最大負載的關節之一。近年來隨著醫學的發達，人類平均壽命逐年延長，罹患退化性關節炎的人逐漸增加。目前台灣約有三十二萬人深受膝關節疼痛之苦。他們因行走疼痛，上下樓梯困難，外出無法使用蹲式廁所而造成許多生活上的不便。若施行人工關節置換術，病患可以減輕、甚至完全解除疼痛；關節的功能、活動度及變形亦可明顯改善。 微創手術是現代醫學發展的趨勢。據統計，在台灣一年大約有一萬個病人需接受人工膝關節置換手術。本研究目的為：1.發展創新的微小局部人膝關節，讓小面積軟骨損傷的患者有更合適病況的選擇；2.對手術器械及植入物客製化：客製化手術器械使得手術流程變得較為簡單，客製化人工膝關節曲面將與病患關節曲面完全貼合，減少手術過後的骨骼外型不平滑造成應力集中的現象； 3.建構動態運動模擬真實之膝關節股骨與脛骨運動及受力之間的分析平台，評估客製化單髁人工膝關節設計對整個膝關節動作之影響，得到植入物之受力曲線與接觸軌跡，藉以改進人工脛股骨關節之設計。 Among all joints in human bodies, the knee joint bears the biggest load. With the development of medical science in recent years, the average human life-span has been lengthened year by year. Nevertheless, more and more people are troubled by osteoarthritis. Nowadays around three hundred and twenty thousand people in Taiwan are suffering from the pain of knee joints. Serious pain can be caused during walking and going upstairs and downstairs. Furthermore, it is very inconvenient for they are unable to use squat toilet. If patients receive the operation of knee arthroplasty, the pain would be lightened or even totally eliminated. In addition, the function, movement and the problem of deformation of joints can be improved. Minimally invasive surgery is definitely an important modern medical development tendency. According to the statistics, in one year, nearly ten thousand patients in Taiwan need the surgery of knee arthroplasty. This research aims to: 1. develop a brand-new smaller knee joint; therefore, the patient with a small area cartilage damage can have choice according the symptoms; 2. design custom-made implants and its surgical instruments: custom-made surgical instruments make the operation procedure comparatively simple; the surface of custom-made implants will fit the curved surfaces of patients’ joints, reducing the stress-concentration caused by the uneven surfaces of skeletons after the operation; 3. build and construct the true knee joint simulation of dynamic sport and movement and the analysis platform of force, hoping to improve the design of the knee joint implant.
