A COMPUTATIONAL BIOMECHANICS STUDY TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF MYOELECTRIC STIMULATION ON PERONEAL MUSCLES IN PREVENTING INVERSION-TYPE ANKLE LIGAMENTOUS SPRAIN INJURY

Abstract

A three-dimensional multi-body lower limb model with 16 bones and 22 ligaments was developed to study ankle ligamentous inversion sprain. A male athlete who was diagnosed with a grade I anterior talofibular ligament (ATaFL) sprain during an accidental injury in laboratory in a published report. His ankle kinematics injury data profile was computed. The effect of delivering myoelectric stimulation on peroneal muscles was simulated as torques during ankle inversion. Largest strain in the ATaFL was 8.3%, 9.0% and 11.4%, respectively, at different inversion velocity thresholds of 300 deg/s, 400 deg/s and 500 deg/s. A ligament strain/sprain more than 10-15% would lead to a ligament tear suggesting that applied muscle moments could successfully prevent ankle inversion sprain when an injury identification threshold does not reach 400 deg/s.