A three-dimensional finite element foot-ankle model and its personalisation methods analysis

Abstract

Foot and ankle injuries are common as a result of overuse or trauma as well as various pathologies. This study aims to establish a three-dimensional foot-ankle model and investigate its suitability personalisation for the analysis of foot-ankle biomechanical responses during dynamic gait loading. The model was first established based on medical images and validated in both static standing posture and dynamic gait loading concerning regional plantar pressures and the centre of pressure curve (COP). Then, two model personalisation methods using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fast optical scan data, respectively, were investigated and compared through analysing the dynamic gait responses of the scaled models. In both methods, material personalisation of plantar tissues was also combined through supersonic shear wave elastography (SWE) measurements. With regard to plantar pressure distribution and internal soft tissue strain, both personalisation methods correlated well with the subject-specific experimental results. Thus, we believe that the present model, with a fast optical scan personalisation method of specific SWE measurement, is a reasonable arrangement for subject-specific plantar deformation behaviour analysis during dynamic gait loading.