Investigation of the mechanical behaviour of the plantar soft tissue during gait cycle: Experimental and numerical activities

The aim of this work is to investigate the mechanical response of the plantar soft tissue from the heel strike to the midstance, developing both experimental and numerical activities. Using force plates and motion tracking system, the dynamic and kinematic data of 10 subjects are evaluated. The average kinematics data obtained from the experimental tests are assumed as boundary and loading conditions for the computational analyses. A three-dimensional virtual solid model of the foot is developed from the analysis of Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine images from computed tomography and magnetic resonance. Constitutive formulations that interpret the mechanical response of the biological tissues are defined. Because of the major role of plantar soft tissue in the proposed analysis, a specific visco-hyperelastic constitutive formulation is provided considering the typical features of the tissue mechanics. The three-dimensional numerical model permits to evaluate the capability of the plantar soft tissue to redistribute the deformations, especially during the midstance, and to define quantitative aspects related to the energy absorption. The numerical results highlight the stress distribution from the heel strike to the midstance. The values of stress and strain reached are more intensive during the midstance, when there is a single support of the foot.