An analysis of micro-elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication in synovial joints considering cyclic loading and entraining velocities.

Attention is drawn to the powerful role of microelastohydrodynamic action in the lubrication of synovial joints under quaisistatic conditions. It has become necessary to extend the microelastohydrodynamic analysis to conditions more representative of physiological motion and loading and this is the subject of the paper. The results of this extended analysis confirm that, even under the dynamic conditions representative of the walking cycle, the effective film thickness remains remarkably constant and that microelastohydrodynamic action remains as a powerful and highly beneficial action in synovial joints Discussion of this paper is included on p.669.