Combined Cartilage Thickness and Mechanical Property Mismatch Drives Local Strain Amplification at the Patellar Osteochondral Allograft Interface

Abstract

Patellar osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation is widely used to treat large full-thickness cartilage defects, yet long-term failure and reoperation rates remain high. Although surface congruity and osseous integration are emphasized clinically, cartilage thickness and mechanical compatibility between donor and recipient are not considered. Our previous work suggests that cartilage thickness mismatch can amplify local deformation at the graft boundary, potentially compromising graft longevity. This study investigates how combined mismatches in cartilage thickness and mechanical properties influence the local strain environment at the patellar OCA interface. Simplified two-dimensional axisymmetric finite element models of patellar OCA repair were developed in ABAQUS. Donor-to-recipient cartilage thickness ratios ranging from 0.33 to 3.25 were evaluated together with donor-recipient Youngs modulus mismatches (2.5-7.0 MPa). Cartilage was modeled using homogeneous linear elastic and functionally graded material formulations to account for depth-dependent stiffness. A compressive pressure of 1.0 MPa was applied to represent patellofemoral joint loading, and peak compressive and shear strains were quantified at the graft boundary. Cartilage thickness mismatch produced localized high-strain regions (HSR) of compressive and shear strain at the donor-recipient interface that were absent in thickness-matched constructs. Strain amplification increased with both thickness and mechanical property mismatch. Compressive strain exhibited directional asymmetry, with donor-side-thicker configurations producing greater amplification than recipient-side-thicker configurations. Incorporating depth-dependent cartilage stiffness reduced peak strain magnitudes but did not eliminate mismatch-driven strain amplification. These findings demonstrate that cartilage thickness and mechanical disparity can create HSR at the patellar OCA graft boundary that may predispose grafts to impaired integration and long-term failure.