SPRINTAFO · Simulation-based design and development of a novel 3D printed ankle-foot orthosis

Simulation-based design and development of a novel 3D printed ankle-foot orthosis

Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries among athletes, as well as other young and active adults, and account for 15% to 45% of all sports injuries. Furthermore, 10% to 30% of individuals with ankle sprains have developed chronic ankle instability. If not promptly treated, chronic ankle instability after ankle sprain can cause impaired mobility and quality of life reduction. This has afflicted approximately 200 million people across Europe, resulting in spending of over EUR 300M per annum to treat these patients with lower limb supports. Ankle foot orthosis (AFO) are externally-worn medical devices applied around the ankle joint to treat diverse walking disorders (including those caused by stroke and multiple sclerosis) by restoring a healthier gait pattern or preventing further injury. Traditional AFOs often rely on labour-intensive manufacturing techniques, which are slow, costly and can only produce a limited range of structures. In particular, these AFOs, either soft or semi-rigid, would uncomfortably restrict most or all of the degrees of freedom of the ankle, which limits their use by patients, can cause muscle to atrophy leading to increased susceptibility to future injury, and also negatively affects sports performance and quality of life. The aims of the project are to develop a simulation-based platform for the personalised design and development of 3D printed orthoses, and apply the platform to the design and optimization of a novel 3D printed AFO. The overall objectives of the project are: (1) Develop a musculoskeletal MBD model for the body consisting of head, torso and lower limb with a detailed foot model and the 3D printed AFO using OpenSim. Develop a Python code to run the MBD model automatically and use the code to perform MBD simulation for three different activities: ankle inversion-inducing dropping, walking and running activities; (2) Determine the design variables of the AFO. Perform a batch simulation for the three activities using the simulation platform and develop a gradient descent optimization algorithm to optimize the AFO design through Python; (3) Test the performance of the AFO in terms of protecting the ankle from injury in high ankle injury risk scenarios through inversion-inducing dropping activity simulation; (4) Manufacture the AFO based on the optimized design parameters obtained from Objective 2 via 3D printing.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз