NOVEL METHODOLOGY TO OBTAIN SALIENT BIOMECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF INSOLE MATERIALS

Viscoelastic inserts are commonly used as artificial shock absorbers t o prevent neuropathic foot ulcerations by decreasing pressure on the s ole of the foot. Unfortunately, there is little scientific information available to guide physicians in the selection of appropriate insole materials. Therefore, a novel methodology was developed to form a rati onal platform for biomechanical characterizations of insole material d urability, which consisted of in vivo gait analysis and in vitro bioen gineering measurements. Results show significant differences in the co mpressive stiffness of the tested insoles and the rate of change over time in both compressive stiffness and peak pressures measured. Good c orrelations were found between pressure-time integral and Young's modu lus (r(2) = 0.93), and total energy applied and Young's modulus (r(2) = 0.87).