Biomechanical Study of the Total Contact Insole and the Foot

• Main Authors: Wu Shu-Hsia, 吳淑霞
• Other Authors: Weng-Pin Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1998
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/68421409103828731562

碩士 === 中原大學 === 醫學工程研究所 === 86 === High plantar pressures is one of the major causes for the plantar ulceration of diabetic patients. Therefore, the reduction and redistribution of the plantar pressure becomes an important issue in the preventionand treatment of ulcers. In clinical practice, total contact insoles are routinely used to reduce the risk of ulcerations and the efficacy is quitesatisfactory. However there is little scientific evidence to support the efficacy of such orthosis. The purpose of this study was to examine the plantar pressure in the interface between foot plantar and different total contact insoles by using a quasi-static three dimensional finite element model. Also the EMED-Pedar system was used to measure the plantar pressure distribution and the results were compared with finite element results for the verification of the analysis model.The total contact insole used in this study was custom molded of medium Plastazote, Microcelpuff and Neoprene crepe soling. Similar results were obtained from the experimental measurement and thefinite element analysis. It showed that the total contact insole out-performs the regular flat insole in reducing high pressure sites andredistributing pressure by increasing the foot-insole contact areas.In addition, based on different material characteristic, finite element models of three different material combinations of total contact insoles were created and the contact stress analyses were performed. Resultshowed that TCI-A model (with material combination of medium Plastazote, Microcelpuff and Neoprene crepe soling) performed best in reducing plantar pressures, while the TCI-B model (with material conbination of PPT, Microcelpuff and Thermocork) performed equally well in redistributing the plantar pressure.