Patent ID: 8425234

Claim:
An artificial joint replica model configured to geometrically mimic a human or nonhuman animal joint, said model comprising: a first artificial bone component comprising a proximal end and a distal end and comprised of a tissue analog material simulating at least one physical characteristic of living bone; a second artificial bone component comprising a proximal end and a distal end and comprised of a tissue analog material simulating at least one physical characteristic of living bone; wherein said distal end of said first artificial bone component and said proximal end of said second artificial bone component geometrically mimic the ends of two bones that form a human or nonhuman animal joint; an artificial cartilage layer comprised of an analog material simulating at least one physical characteristic of cartilage and disposed onto at least a portion of said distal end of said first artificial bone component or said proximal end of said second artificial bone component, or both; at least one artificial muscle component comprising a proximal end and a distal end and comprised of a tissue analog material simulating at least one physical characteristic of living muscle tissue, said at least one artificial muscle component comprised of hydrogel and simulating tensile modulus and shear strength of a human or nonhuman animal muscle with fifty percent or more similarity; and at least one artificial tendon component comprising a distal end and a proximal end and comprised of a tissue analog material simulating at least one physical characteristic of living tendon, said at least one artificial tendon is attached to or integrated with said at least one muscle component at said proximal end of said at least one artificial tendon component and said distal end of said at least one muscle component, and said distal end of said tendon is cooperative with said first and/or second artificial bone components; wherein said distal end of said at least one artificial tendon component is cooperative with said second artificial bone component and said at least one muscle component lays against said first artificial bone component.