title: Numerical model for healthy and injured ankle ligaments.
abstract: The aim of this work is to provide a computational tool for the investigation of ankle mechanics under different loading conditions. The attention is focused on the biomechanical role of ankle ligaments that are fundamental for joints stability. A finite element model of the human foot is developed starting from Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, using particular attention to the definition of ankle ligaments. A refined fiber-reinforced visco-hyperelastic constitutive model is assumed to characterize the mechanical response of ligaments. Numerical analyses that interpret anterior drawer and the talar tilt tests reported in literature are performed. The numerical results are in agreement with the range of values obtained by experimental tests confirming the accuracy of the procedure adopted. The increase of the ankle range of motion after some ligaments rupture is also evaluated, leading to the capability of the numerical models to interpret the damage conditions. The developed computational model provides a tool for the investigation of foot and ankle functionality in terms of stress-strain of the tissues and in terms of ankle motion, considering different types of damage to ankle ligaments.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Mechanics of Biological Materials, University of Padova, Via Venezia 1, 35131, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Forestiero
authors.affiliation: Centre for Mechanics of Biological Materials, University of Padova, Via Venezia 1, 35131, Padua, Italy.|Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Via Venezia 1, 35131, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuele Luigi
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Carniel
authors.affiliation: Centre for Mechanics of Biological Materials, University of Padova, Via Venezia 1, 35131, Padua, Italy. chiaragiulia.fontanella@unipd.it.|Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo, 3, 35100, Padua, Italy. chiaragiulia.fontanella@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Chiara Giulia
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Fontanella
authors.affiliation: Centre for Mechanics of Biological Materials, University of Padova, Via Venezia 1, 35131, Padua, Italy.|Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Via Venezia 1, 35131, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Arturo Nicola
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Natali
mesh_terms: D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005528:Foot / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008022:Ligaments / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009716:Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted
keywords: Ankle ligaments; Constitutive model; Foot mechanics; Numerical model