ESTABLISHMENT AND APPLICATION OF LOWER LIMB FINITE ELEMENT MODEL BASED ON MUSCLE GROUPS

Abstract

Living body or corpse could be replaced with the virtual human tissue model for biomechanical experimental study, which effectively avoids the non-reusability, great social controversy, huge costs and difficulty in extracting parameters, and finally, the accurate analysis results are obtained. Unlike the previous lower limb models, the finite element models of hip and thigh were established based on the concept of muscle group in this paper. The cortical bones of hip bone and femur were set as *MAT_PIECEWISE_LINEAR_ PLASTICITY. The material of cancellous bone was set as *MAT_ELASTIC_PLASTIC_ WITH_DAMAGE_FAILURE. The material of articular cartilage was set as *MAT_ISOTROPIC_ELASTIC. The materials of muscle and fat were set as *MAT_VISCOELASTIC. The accuracy of the finite element model was verified by dynamic three-point bending experiment of the thighs. Mechanical simulation was carried out to the stump-prosthetic socket and the comfort of socks by the established model. The simulation results were all between the upper and lower bounds of the experimental results in the dynamic three-point bending experiment of the thighs where the loads were separately applied to one-third of the distal end of thighs and the middle part of thighs. The simulation results of the stump-prosthetic socket example show that the optimal elastic modulus of silicone pad is 2.5[Formula: see text]MPa. Simulation results of socks comfort show that the distribution of stress and deformation of the anterior and posterior thighs is different when the human lower limbs are in stockings. The established simulation model meets the accuracy requirement and can replace the living body or corpse to carry out biomechanical experimental study. The finite element simulation results converge, and the time to complete a finite element calculation is less than or equal to 10[Formula: see text]min.