A Three Dimensional Stress Analysis Of Diabetic Insole And Evaluation Of Silicone Gel Material Using Finite Element Approach

Current research in foot biomechanics includes studies on prevention of recurrence of neuropathic foot ulcers. This prescribes accommodative insoles, which reduce plantar pressure levels particularly under the hallux. There is little quantitative information available regarding the effects of insole materials. The insole models available in the literature are mostly two- dimensional (2-D). Hence, there is a need to develop a three-dimensional (3-D) model with actual geometry which includes sufficient details. In this study a 3-D model of the insole was constructed. A linear and non-linear static analysis using finite element method (FEM) was done. To construct the 3-D finite element model, 14736 nodes and 16170 elements were used. This research has shown that Silicone Gel is very effective in terms of reduction of stress concentrations. The techniques used in this research provide a promising approach to understand the behavior of insole material as well as a guideline in the design of therapeutic footwear and orthoses for insensate feet.