Study of the Risk of Ankle Injury During Impact on the Ground and Definition of Support Orthoses

This work studies the effect of different orthoses on preventing injuries in the ankle-foot joint. It was carried out using OpenSim and the available ankle-foot musculoskeletal model and AFO orthoses models. The motion situation assessed is related to placing the foot on the ground. It is also analyzed how a passive ankle-foot orthosis, muscles reflexes and muscle coactivation influence the risk of injury, namely during ankle inversion. Results indicate that muscle coactivation and the use of an AFO can reduce injury risk. Thus, an average stiffness AFO is best suited for preventing ankle injuries.