The Department of Biomechanics has expanded our research efforts to the lower extremities, focusing on how surgical adjustments of the foot and ankle structures affect function. Recently, the Foot & Ankle research group has developed a robotic gait simulator that allows for investigation of intrinsic foot and ankle joint biomechanics during simulated tasks such as walking. This development will contribute to the understanding of how structure influences normal hindfoot function. Additionally, the simulator will serve as an instrumental tool in the evaluation of various surgical techniques aimed at the correction of foot and ankle deformities. Our team aims to translate the findings gathered through experimental simulator and computational models into clinically relevant tools that will improve patient outcomes.
Josh R. Baxter, Daniel R. Sturnick, Constantine A. Demetracopoulos, Scott J. Ellis, Jonathan T. Deland. Cadaveric gait simulation reproduces foot and ankle kinematics from population-specific inputs. J Orthop Res. 2016. Accepted Article in Press.