Numerical model of the ankle joint for the study of total ankle replacement

Total ankle replacement (TAR) is a successful short-term procedure but after ten years the implants have low survival rates involving numerous complications. Today the mechanism that leads to the failure of TAR remains unclear. Therefore there is a need a better understanding that leads TAR to failure. One solution is to build a numerical model of the ankle including an ankle implant and to measure the load in the implant during a specific ankle motion. Thus the objectives of this project was twofold: to develop a numerical model of the ankle articulation and too execute a numerical simulation in order to find the biggest loads in the ankle during the human gait cycle.