Can guided wave ultrasound predict bone mechanical properties at the femoral neck in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty?

The bone quality of patients undergoing hip replacement surgery is poorly predicted by radiographs alone. With better bone quality information available to a surgeon, the operation can be performed more safely. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ultrasound signals of cortical bone at peripheral sites such as the tibia and radius can be used to predict the compressive mechanical properties of cortical bone at the femoral neck.

Localized pressure stimulation using turf-like structures can improve skin perfusion in the foot.

Objective: Improving perfusion under the skin can potentially reduce ulceration and amputation risk in people with diabetic foot. Localized pressure stimulation has been proven capable of improving skin perfusion in the scalp but its effectiveness for the foot has not been tested. In this study, localized pressure stimulation was realized using flexible turf-like structures (TLS) with dense vertical fibers and their ability to increase perfusion was assessed.

Shear wave elastography can assess the in-vivo nonlinear mechanical behavior of heel-pad.

This study combines non-invasive mechanical testing with finite element (FE) modelling to assess for the first time the reliability of shear wave (SW) elastography for the quantitative assessment of the in-vivo nonlinear mechanical behavior of heel-pad. The heel-pads of five volunteers were compressed using a custom-made ultrasound indentation device. Tissue deformation was assessed from B-mode ultrasound and force was measured using a load cell to calculate the force - deformation graph of the indentation test.

A Simulation of the Viscoelastic Behaviour of Heel Pad During Weight-Bearing Activities of Daily Living.

Internal strain is known to be one of the contributors to plantar soft tissue damage. However, due to challenges related to measurement techniques, there is a paucity of research investigating the strain within the plantar soft tissue during daily weight-bearing activities. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to develop a non-invasive method for predicting heel pad strain during loading.

A clinically applicable non-invasive method to quantitatively assess the visco-hyperelastic properties of human heel pad, implications for assessing the risk of mechanical trauma.

Introduction: Pathological conditions such as diabetic foot and plantar heel pain are associated with changes in the mechanical properties of plantar soft tissue. However, the causes and implications of these changes are not yet fully understood. This is mainly because accurate assessment of the mechanical properties of plantar soft tissue in the clinic remains extremely challenging.

Finite element modelling of the foot for clinical application: A systematic review.

Over the last two decades finite element modelling has been widely used to give new insight on foot and footwear biomechanics. However its actual contribution for the improvement of the therapeutic outcome of different pathological conditions of the foot, such as the diabetic foot, remains relatively limited. This is mainly because finite element modelling has only been used within the research domain.