The Role of the Individual Bundles of the Deltoid Ligament in Multidirectional Stability and Articular Contact Pressure of the Ankle Joint: A Finite Element Analysis
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design
2.2. Finite Element Model of the Foot
2.3. Establishment of DL-Deficient Models
2.4. Coordinate System Definition and Loading Conditions
3. Results
3.1. Effects of DL-Deficient Conditions on Anterior Stability and Talar Cartilage Contact Pressure
3.2. Effects of DL-Deficient Conditions on External Rotation Stability and Talar Cartilage Contact Pressure
3.3. Effects of DL-Deficient Conditions on Internal Rotation Stability and Talar Cartilage Contact Pressure
3.4. Effects of DL-Deficient Conditions on Eversion Stability and Talar Cartilage Contact Pressure
3.5. Effects of DL-Deficient Conditions on Plantarflexion Stability and Talar Cartilage Contact Pressure
3.6. Effects of DL-Deficient Conditions on Dorsiflexion Stability and Talar Cartilage Contact Pressure
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
| DL | Deltoid ligament |
| ATFL | Anterior talofibular ligament |
| PTFL | Posterior talofibular ligament |
| CFL | Calcaneofibular ligament |
| ATiFL | Anterior tibiofibular ligament |
| PTiFL | Posterior tibiofibular ligament |
| TNL | Talonavicular ligament |
| TSL | Tibiospring ligament |
| TCL | Tibiocalcaneal ligament |
| ATTL | Anterior tibiotalar ligament |
| sPTTL | Superficial posterior tibiotalar ligament |
| dPTTL | Deep posterior tibiotalar ligament |
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| Components | Material Type | Young’s Modulus (MPa) | Poisson’s Ratio | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bone | Linearly elastic | 7300 | 0.3 | ||||
| Cartilage | Linearly elastic | 45 | 0.42 | ||||
| Anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) | Linearly elastic | 255.5 | 0.4 | ||||
| Calcaneofibular ligament (CFL) | Linearly elastic | 512 | 0.4 | ||||
| Posterior talofibular ligament (PTFL) | Linearly elastic | 216.5 | 0.4 | ||||
| Anterior tibiofibular ligament (ATiFL) | Linearly elastic | 260 | 0.4 | ||||
| Posterior tibiofibular ligament (PTiFL) | Linearly elastic | 260 | 0.4 | ||||
| Talonavicular ligament (TNL) | Linearly elastic | 320.7 | 0.4 | ||||
| Tibiospring ligament (TSL) | Linearly elastic | 184.5 | 0.4 | ||||
| Tibiocalcaneal ligament (TCL) | Linearly elastic | 512 | 0.4 | ||||
| Anterior tibiotalar ligament (ATTL) | Linearly elastic | 184.5 | 0.4 | ||||
| Superficial posterior tibiotalar ligament (sPTTL) | Linearly elastic | 99.5 | 0.4 | ||||
| Deep posterior tibiotalar ligament (dPTTL) | Linearly elastic | 99.5 | 0.4 | ||||
| Plantar fascia | Linearly elastic | 350 | 0.35 | ||||
| Other ligaments | Linearly elastic | 260 | 0.35 | ||||
| Bulk soft tissue | Hyperelastic: second-order polynomial strain energy potential expression | ||||||
| C10 0.08556 | C01 0.05841 | C20 0.03900 | C11 0.02319 | C02 0.00851 | D1 3.65273 | D2 0.00000 | |
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Li, Y.; Ji, X.; Yang, Q.; Wang, H.; Cheng, C.-K. The Role of the Individual Bundles of the Deltoid Ligament in Multidirectional Stability and Articular Contact Pressure of the Ankle Joint: A Finite Element Analysis. Bioengineering 2026, 13, 145. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13020145
Li Y, Ji X, Yang Q, Wang H, Cheng C-K. The Role of the Individual Bundles of the Deltoid Ligament in Multidirectional Stability and Articular Contact Pressure of the Ankle Joint: A Finite Element Analysis. Bioengineering. 2026; 13(2):145. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13020145
Chicago/Turabian StyleLi, Yuandong, Xiaoxi Ji, Qingqing Yang, Huizhi Wang, and Cheng-Kung Cheng. 2026. "The Role of the Individual Bundles of the Deltoid Ligament in Multidirectional Stability and Articular Contact Pressure of the Ankle Joint: A Finite Element Analysis" Bioengineering 13, no. 2: 145. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13020145
APA StyleLi, Y., Ji, X., Yang, Q., Wang, H., & Cheng, C.-K. (2026). The Role of the Individual Bundles of the Deltoid Ligament in Multidirectional Stability and Articular Contact Pressure of the Ankle Joint: A Finite Element Analysis. Bioengineering, 13(2), 145. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13020145

