Dynamic finite element analyses to compare the influences of customised total talar replacement and total ankle arthroplasty on foot biomechanics during gait

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.