The aim of our scoping review was to identify and summarize current evidence on the biomechanics of fencing to inform athlete development and injury prevention. Scoping review. Peer-reviewed research was identified from electronic databases using a structured keyword search. Details regarding experimental design, study group characteristics and measured outcomes were extracted from retrieved studies, summarized and information regrouped under themes for analysis. The methodological quality of the evidence was evaluated. Thirty-seven peer-reviewed studies were retrieved, the majority being observational studies conducted with experienced and elite athletes. The methodological quality of the evidence was “fair” due to the limited scope of research. Male fencers were the prevalent group studied, with the lunge and use of a foil weapon being the principal movement evaluated. Motion capture and pedabarography were the most frequently used data collection techniques. Elite fencers exhibited sequential coordination of upper and lower limb movements with coherent patterns of muscle activation, compared to novice fencers. These elite features of neuromuscular coordination resulted in higher magnitudes of forward linear velocity of the body center of mass and weapon. Training should focus on explosive power. Sex- and equipment-specific effects could not be evaluated based on available research.

This study presented a systematic review of recent advancements in the application of finite element (FE) methods to running and running shoe biomechanics. It focused on outlining the general approach to build foot-running shoe FE models, exploring their current applications and challenges, and providing directions for future research. The review also aimed to highlight the gap between theoretical mechanical responses in simulations and real-world manifestations of running-related musculoskeletal injuries (RRMI). A comprehensive search of electronic databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus, identified 12 eligible articles for inclusion in this review. Current studies have examined the effects of various running shoe design features and conditions on the mechanical response of internal foot tissues using foot-running shoe FE models. These models have gradually evolved from simplified local representations to more realistic and comprehensive models, with the incorporation of experimental data enhancing simulation accuracy. However, to further improve simulation outcomes, key advancements are proposed to reduce development time and enhance model robustness. These include high-fidelity 3D model development, personalized shape transformation, AI-driven automated reconstruction, comprehensive dynamic running simulations, and improved validation methods. More importantly, future research needs to bridge the gap between FE simulations and RRMI risk by addressing the complexities of bone fracture criteria and conducting localized assessments of bone properties. Overall, this review provided valuable insights for biomedical engineers, medical professionals, and researchers, facilitating more accurate investigations of foot-running shoe FE models. Ultimately, these advancements aim to improve footwear design and training programs to reduce the risk of RRMI.

This study explored how systematic changes in running shoe degradation and foot inversion alter the distribution and peak value of heel pressure and calcaneus stress, as well as the total stress-concentration exposure (TSCE) within the calcaneal bone. A foot-shoe finite element model was employed and three shoe wear conditions (new shoe (CON), moderate worn shoe (MWSC), excessive worn shoe (EWSC)) coupled with three foot inversion angles (0°, 10°, 20°) were further modulated. Simulations were conducted at the impact peak instant during running. Compared to CON0, heel pressure during neutral landings shifted medially and increased with progressive shoe wear, peaking under EWSC0. This shift expanded the high-pressure area by 1.333 cm² and raised peak pressure by 24.42 %. Foot inversion landings exhibited an opposite trend: increased shoe wear promoted balanced pressure distribution, centralizing the load and eliminating high-pressure areas under EWSC10, where peak pressure was 11.36 % lower than CON10. Calcaneus stress during neutral landings, initially concentrated on the medial calcaneal surface and inferior tuberosity, intensified with wear, expanding high-stress area by 5.276 cm² and increasing peak stress by 22.79 % under EWSC0. For foot inversion, the high-stress region shifted to the inferior tuberosity, with wear reducing peak stress by 10.41 % and eliminating high-stress area in EWSC10 compared to CON10. TSCE analysis revealed that EWSC10 had the lowest stress exposure (0 %kPa) across all conditions. Worn-out shoes would exacerbate heel internal biomechanics, while these effects may be mitigated by foot inversion, likely due to the formation of a relatively flat and larger contact area between the lateral sole and the ground.

Flip-flops may change walking gait pattern, increase muscle activity and joint loading, and predispose wearers to foot problems, despite that quantitative evidence is scarce. The purpose of this study was to examine the lower limb muscle co-contraction and joint contact force in flip-flops gait, and compare with those of barefoot and sports shoes walking. Ten healthy males were instructed to perform over-ground walking at self-selected speed under three footwear conditions: 1) barefoot, 2) sports shoes, and 3) thong-type flip-flops. Kinematic, kinetic and EMG data were collected and input to a musculoskeletal model to estimate muscle force and joint force. One-way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to compare footwear conditions. It was hypothesized that flip-flops would induce muscle co-contraction and produce different gait kinematics and kinetics. Our results demonstrated that the musculoskeletal model estimation had a good temporal consistency with the measured EMG. Flip-flops produced significantly lower walking speed, higher ankle and subtalar joint range of motion, and higher shear ankle joint contact force than sports shoes (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between flip-flops and barefoot conditions in terms of muscle co-contraction index, joint kinematics, and joint loading of the knee and ankle complex (p > 0.05). The variance in walking speed and footwear design may be the two major factors that resulted in the comparable joint biomechanics in flip-flops and barefoot walking. From this point of view, whether flip-flops gait is potentially harmful to foot health remains unclear. Given that shod walking is more common than barefoot walking on a daily basis, sports shoes with close-toe design may be a better footwear option than flip-flops for injury prevention due to its constraint on joint motion and loading.

Objective, Total talar replacement (TTR) using a customised talus prosthesis is an emerging surgical alternative to conventional total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) for treating ankle problems. Upon satisfying clinical reports in the literature, this study explored the advantages of TTR in restoring foot biomechanics during walking compared with TAA through computational simulations. Methods, A dynamic finite element foot model was built from the MRIs of a healthy participant and modified into two implanted counterparts (TTR and TAA) by incorporating the corresponding prosthetic components into the ankle joint. Twenty bony parts, thirty-nine ligament/tendon units, nine muscle contractors, and bulk soft tissue were included in the intact foot model. The TTR prosthesis was reconstructed from the mirror image data of the participant's contralateral talus and the TAA prosthesis was modelled by reproducing the Scandinavian ankle replacement procedure in the model assembly. The model was meshed with explicit deformable elements and validated against existing experimental studies that have assessed specific walking scenarios. Simulations were performed using the boundary conditions (time-variant matrix of muscle forces, segment orientation, and ground reaction forces) derived from motion capture analyses and musculoskeletal modelling of the participant's walking gait. Outcome variables, including foot kinematics, joint loading, and plantar pressure were reported and compared among the three model conditions. Linear regression indicated a better agreement between the TTR model and intact foot model in plots of joint motions and foot segment movements during walking (R² ​= ​0.721–0.993) than between the TAA and intact foot (R² ​= ​0.623–0.990). TAA reduced talocrural excursion by 21.36%–31.92% and increased (MTP) dorsiflexion by 3.03%. Compared with the intact foot, TTR and TAA increased the midtarsal joint contact force by 17.92% and 10.73% respectively. The proximal-to-distal force transmission within the midfoot was shifted to the lateral column in TTR (94.52% or 210.54 ​N higher) while concentrated on the medial column in TAA (41.58% or 27.55 ​N higher). The TTR produced a plantar pressure map similar to that of the intact foot. TAA caused the plantar pressure centre to drift medially and increased the peak forefoot pressure by 7.36% in the late stance. The TTR better reproduced the foot joint motions, segment movements, and plantar pressure map of an intact foot during walking. TAA reduced ankle mobility while increasing movement of the adjacent joints and forefoot plantar pressure. Both implant methods changed force transmission within the midfoot during gait progression. The translational potential of this article Our work is one of the few to report foot segment movements and the internal loading status of implanted ankles during a dynamic locomotion task. These outcomes partially support the conjecture that TTR is a prospective surgical alternative for pathological ankles from a biomechanical perspective. This study paves the way for further clinical investigations and systematic statistics to confirm the effects of TTR on functional joint recovery.