Computational foot modeling for clinical assessment

• Ano de defesa: 2015
• Autor(a) principal: Enrique Morales Orcajo
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; UFMG
• Palavras-chave em Português: Corrida descalço; Modelos de materiais hiperelásticos; Ensaio de tecidos; Caracterização do tendão; Lesão por correr; Hallux valgus; Ensaio in-vitro; Modelagem 3D do pé; Simulação computacional; Caracterização do solado plantar; Método dos elementos finitos; Análise da fase de apoio da marcha; Análise de sensibilidade da força dos tendões; Biomecânica do pé; Biomecânica; Pés; Engenharia mecânica
• Link de acesso: http://hdl.handle.net/1843/BUOS-AXYKRP

In this Thesis, a complete detailed three-dimensional finite element model of the human foot is described to advance towards a more refined computational simulation which provides realistic and meaningful information for clinical practice. From an engineering persperctive, the human foot is a complex structure of small bones supported by strong ligaments and controlled by a network of tendons and muscles that achieves a superb mechanical responsiveness. The current barrier in foot computational simulation is the inclusion of these musculotendinous structures in the models. To advance in this direction, a complete detailed three-dimensional foot finite element model with actual geometry of the inner structure is created differentiating cortical and trabecular bone, tendon, muscle, cartilage and fat tissues. Experimental tests of foot tendons and plantar soles are performed to determine their structural and material properties and to characterize computationally their non-linear mechanical behavior. Those advances are oriented to refine the geometry and the tissue characterization of the internal foot components. The model developed in this Thesis can be used in the field of biomechanics, in the areas of orthopedics, injury, treatment, surgery and sports biomechanics. The research is structured by chapters where small steps towards the main objective are developed and the potential of these advances are applied to particular cases. These partial contributions in the area of the experimental testing are: the determination of a complete dataset of the mechanical properties of the balance foot tendons, the definition of a criteria to quantify the regions of the tendon stress-strain curve and the analysis of the compressive response of plantar soft tissue as function of the location. And, in the area of clinical biomechanics the contributions are: the investigation of a skeletal parameter as etiology factor of the hallux valgus, the tendon force sensitivity study of the five major stabilizer tendons, the quasi-static analysis of the midstance phase of walking and the study of the impact absorption mechanism of the foot during barefoot running at different strike patterns