An analytical approach was developed for the difficult problem of predicting the dynamic variation in fluid-film thickness of elastic-isoviscous line contacts under isothermal conditions. A numerical solution procedure was constructed and applied to the experiments of Hirano and Murakami who were investigating the lubrication of O-ring seals. Reasonable agreement was obtained. The present approach was extended to the lubrication of compliant layered surfaces as part of a study of human ankle joint lubrication. Although dependent on many assumptions, the present analysis provided a simple method for predicting the film thickness in both Hertzian and non-Hertzian contacts subject to cyclic time-varying loads and entrainment velocities.Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASLE/ASME Lubrication Conference in Hartford, Connecticut, October 16–20, 1983