Incorporating in vivo data into a computational modeling framework to assess the effects of carbon fiber bracing on ankle joint function and contact mechanics

Limb impairment and mobility-related disabilities are often associated with pain and decreased quality of life, due to unsatisfactory treatment options. Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is one of the leading causes of mobility-related disability, with approximately 5.6 million cases in the U.S. [2]. PTOA is a form of osteoarthritis that develops following traumatic injury and is associated with long-term consequences if allowed to progress.

Carbon fiber bracing is an attractive intervention method following traumatic injury, as it has been shown to effectively address a number of other mobility-related conditions [5-8]. However, literature about the effects of carbon fiber custom dynamic orthosis (CDO) design on resulting function is limited, as it is difficult to capture certain measures experimentally, such as muscle forces while walking. Musculoskeletal modeling and walking simulation produce estimations of measurements that are difficult to measure directly, such as muscle force and forces produced at the ankle joint. By following a computational modeling approach, the effects of carbon fiber bracing can be assessed in the context of PTOA and other mobility-related conditions.

By studying the effects of three different CDOs across a normative 6-subject study group, carbon fiber bracing was found to significantly reduce soleus muscle force, axial joint reaction force at the ankle, and tibiotalar contact stress-time exposure compared to a no brace baseline. These results indicate that carbon fiber bracing may be a viable method for reducing tibiotalar contact stress, making it a potential mode of intervention for preventing PTOA development following traumatic lower limb injury.