An individualised model of the human ankle joint – development and application to high risk movements

Basic data for this project

Description

Motivation: Acute injuries are detrimental to sports participation and the associated benefits of a healthier lifestyle. The ankle joint has been identified as the most commonly injured structure across many increasingly popular sports such as handball, soccer, tennis etc. One third of all injured athletes (33%) suffer from chronic ankle instability with severe and costly long-term complications. Risk factors have been investigated but the underlying injury mechanisms are not fully understood. Only the detailed investigation of the injuring situation as such will allow for a full understanding of these injuries. Such investigations are only possible by direct assessments of loading in real-life or most realistic sport situations. A detailed, subject-specific ankle joint model will be created. The model will include the muscles crossing the ankle as well as external mechanical stabilizers. Thus it will be possible to systematically vary mechanical factors based on intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors. Outcomes of the project will be a comprehensive understanding of injury mechanisms, detailed information on the mechanics and effects of stabilizing interventions and, potentially, the development of new training programs and new devices for injury prevention.