An in-vivo lateral ankle ligament strain behavior assessment technique for potential use in robot-assisted therapy.

Ankle sprains are very common, especially in sports activities. Accurate assessment of ankle ligament strain behavior is crucial in understanding ankle function and optimizing ankle rehabilitation programs. This study proposed an in-vivo lateral ankle ligament strain assessment technique for potential use in robot-assisted therapy. It consists of two phases: real-time identification of ankle joint and subtalar joint orientations and simulation of lateral ankle ligament strain behavior. A healthy participant conducted robot-assisted rehabilitation exercises and the results compared to a kinematic model. The model was found to be realistic, leading to the conclusion that this method may be appropriate for determining lateral ankle ligament strain in robot-assisted therapy.