An extended discrete element method for the estimation of contact pressure at the ankle joint during stance phase

Abnormalities in the ankle contact pressure are related to the onset of osteoarthritis. In vivo measurements are not possible with currently available techniques, so computational methods such as the finite element analysis (FEA) are often used instead. The discrete element method (DEM), a computati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part H, Journal of engineering in medicine Journal of engineering in medicine, 2020-05, Vol.234 (5), p.507-516
Main Authors: Benemerito, Ivan, Modenese, Luca, Montefiori, Erica, Mazzà, Claudia, Viceconti, Marco, Lacroix, Damien, Guo, Lingzhong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abnormalities
Adolescent
Ankle
Ankle Joint - physiology
Biomedical materials
Bones
Cartilage
Cartilage (articular)
Cartilage diseases
Computer applications
Computer Simulation
Contact pressure
Discrete element method
Elasticity
Female
Finite element method
Gait
Humans
In vivo methods and tests
Joints (anatomy)
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Original
Osteoarthritis
Pressure
Pressure distribution
Springs (elastic)
Stress concentration
Talus
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Summary:Abnormalities in the ankle contact pressure are related to the onset of osteoarthritis. In vivo measurements are not possible with currently available techniques, so computational methods such as the finite element analysis (FEA) are often used instead. The discrete element method (DEM), a computationally efficient alternative to time-consuming FEA, has also been used to predict the joint contact pressure. It describes the articular cartilage as a bed of independent springs, assuming a linearly elastic behaviour and absence of relative motion between the bones. In this study, we present the extended DEM (EDEM) which is able to track the motion of talus over time. The method was used, with input data from a subject-specific musculoskeletal model, to predict the contact pressure in the ankle joint during gait. Results from EDEM were also compared with outputs from conventional DEM. Predicted values of contact area were larger in EDEM than they were in DEM (4.67 and 4.18 cm2, respectively). Peak values of contact pressure, attained at the toe-off, were 7.3 MPa for EDEM and 6.92 MPa for DEM. Values predicted from EDEM fell well within the ranges reported in the literature. Overall, the motion of the talus had more effect on the extension and shape of the pressure distribution than it had on the magnitude of the pressure. The results indicated that EDEM is a valid methodology for the prediction of ankle contact pressure during daily activities.
ISSN:0954-4119
2041-3033
DOI:10.1177/0954411920905434