This fatigue test is applied to bicondylar knee replacements and specifically targets the metallic tibial plateau (tibial tray). For the test, the plateau is embedded on one side (medial or lateral), while the other side is free to flex. The fatigue strength of the tibial plateau is evaluated under specified cyclic loads and numbers of cycles.

This fatigue test is not applied to cemented tibial components made solely of polyethylene (all-poly) that do not have a metallic plateau.