Effect of Skin on Finite Element Modeling of Foot and Ankle During Balanced Standing

doi:10.1007/s12204-018-1918-9

Abstract

Abstract: Experimental measurements of stresses and strains for lower extremity injuries (LEI) are invasive, and therefore, predictions require physiologically accurate 3D finite element (FE) models of the foot and ankle. In previous models, skin is typically neglected. However, experimental studies have shown that skin is much stiffer than soft tissue. In this study, the material sensitivity of skin on foot arch deformation is investigated. A finite element model of the foot is developed, incorporating bones, soft tissue, ligament, articulating surfaces, plantar aponeurosis, skin and plantar plate. Balanced standing is simulated without skin or with three different skin mechanical properties. By including different skin models, the foot static vertical stiffness, navicular displacement and plantar aponeurosis strain change significantly, when compared with the model without skin. The study shows that skin, showing a much stiffer behaviour than soft tissue, should not be neglected in the foot modelling. Further, the plantar plate considered in this model can give merit to modelling injuries such as plantar plate tearing.

Key words: finite element analysis| foot and ankle| hyperelastic material| plantar plate

摘要： Experimental measurements of stresses and strains for lower extremity injuries (LEI) are invasive, and therefore, predictions require physiologically accurate 3D finite element (FE) models of the foot and ankle. In previous models, skin is typically neglected. However, experimental studies have shown that skin is much stiffer than soft tissue. In this study, the material sensitivity of skin on foot arch deformation is investigated. A finite element model of the foot is developed, incorporating bones, soft tissue, ligament, articulating surfaces, plantar aponeurosis, skin and plantar plate. Balanced standing is simulated without skin or with three different skin mechanical properties. By including different skin models, the foot static vertical stiffness, navicular displacement and plantar aponeurosis strain change significantly, when compared with the model without skin. The study shows that skin, showing a much stiffer behaviour than soft tissue, should not be neglected in the foot modelling. Further, the plantar plate considered in this model can give merit to modelling injuries such as plantar plate tearing.

关键词: finite element analysis| foot and ankle| hyperelastic material| plantar plate

CLC Number:

Q 61

OU Haihuaa (欧海华), QAISER Zeeshana, KANG Lipinga (康利平), JOHNSON Shanea,b*. Effect of Skin on Finite Element Modeling of Foot and Ankle During Balanced Standing[J]. Journal of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Science), 2018, 23(1): 132-137.

References

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