In March 2022, ASTM published the standard for fatigue testing of the femoral component of knee replacements. This standard complements the fatigue testing of tibial plateaus according to ISO 14879-1 and is the first published standard specifically addressing the fatigue strength of the femoral component.

The test is conducted under “closing conditions,” meaning the femoral component is cyclically compressed along its anterior-posterior axis. Only one posterior condyle is loaded, while the anterior flange is fixed.

A total of 10 million cycles is recommended.