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Estimating the material properties of heel pad sub-layers using inverse finite element analysis

Ahanchian, N; Nester, CJ; Howard, D; Ren, Lei; Parker, DJ

Estimating the material properties of heel pad sub-layers using inverse finite element analysis Thumbnail


Authors

N Ahanchian

CJ Nester

Lei Ren



Abstract

Detailed information about the biomechanical behaviour of plantar heel pad tissue contributes to our understanding of load transfer when the foot impacts the ground. The objective of this work was to obtain the hyperelastic and viscoelastic material properties of heel pad sub-layers (skin, micro-chamber and macro-chamber layers) in-vivo.
An anatomically detailed 3D Finite Element model of the human heel was used to derive the sub-layer material properties. A combined ultrasound imaging and motorised platform system was used to compress heel pad and to create input data for the Finite Element model. The force-strain responses of the heel pad and its sub-layers under slow compression (5mm/s) and rapid loading-hold-unloading cycles (225mm/s), were measured and hyperelastic and viscoelastic properties of the three heel pad sub-layers were estimated by the model.
The loaded (under ~315N) thickness of the heel pad was measured from MR images and used for hyperelastic model validation. The capability of the model to predict peak plantar pressure was used for further validation. Experimental responses of the heel pad under different dynamic loading scenarios (loading-hold-unloading cycles at 141mm/s and sinusoidal loading with maximum velocity of 300mm/s) were used to validate the viscoelastic model.
Good agreement was achieved between the predicted and experimental results for both hyperelastic (<6.4% unloaded thickness, 4.4% maximum peak plantar pressure) and viscoelastic (Root Mean Square errors for loading and unloading periods <14.7%, 5.8% maximum force) simulations. This paper provides the first definition of material properties for heel pad sub-layers by using in-vivo experimental force-strain data and an anatomically detailed 3D Finite Element model of the heel.

Citation

Ahanchian, N., Nester, C., Howard, D., Ren, L., & Parker, D. (2016). Estimating the material properties of heel pad sub-layers using inverse finite element analysis. Medical Engineering and Physics, 40, 11-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medengphy.2016.11.003

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Nov 14, 2016
Online Publication Date Nov 29, 2016
Publication Date Nov 29, 2016
Deposit Date Feb 1, 2017
Publicly Available Date Nov 20, 2018
Journal Medical Engineering & Physics
Print ISSN 1350-4533
Electronic ISSN 1873-4030
Publisher Elsevier
Volume 40
Pages 11-19
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medengphy.2016.11.003
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.medengphy.2016.11.003
Related Public URLs https://www.journals.elsevier.com/medical-engineering-and-physics/

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