Computational evaluation of foot biomechanical response to low energy Lisfranc ligament injury

Lisfranc ligament is one of the important stabilizers of midfoot but clinically prone to be overlooked. Biomechanical contribution of this ligament to foot is still not being well understood and controversies exist. A three-dimensional finite element foot model was well developed in this paper. Biomechanical response of the intact foot to nominal whole body weight at normal static standing posture was calculated, and biomechanical alterations due to the Lisfranc ligament mutilation were reevaluated. Physical information such as morph of arches, ligament strains and bone stress were collected and analyzed. These data provided us knowledge about biomechanical alterations of inner foot contributed by Lisfranc ligament lesion. It was noticeable that Lisfranc ligament sectioning could cause almost one-fifth relative stress increase at the third metatarsal, and the effect of half Lisfranc ligament sectioning was also impressive. This study was helpful for an in-depth understanding of fundamental biomechanics related to low energy ligamentous injuries in midfoot sprains.