Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/R98013/01
Title:	DEVELOPMENT OF AN IMPROVED BIOMECHANICAL MODEL OF THE FOOT
Principal Investigator:	Nester, Professor C
Other Investigators:	Howard, Professor D
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Iowa State University
Department:	Inst for Health and Social Care Res
Organisation:	University of Salford
Scheme:	First Grant Scheme Pre-FEC
Starts:	01 January 2003	Ends:	30 September 2004	Value (£):	85,307
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Biomaterials
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Biomechanical models provide an excellent tool for the design of interventions that improve human joint function, as evidenced for example, by their importance to the design of the knee and hip replacements. In contrast to this example the design of footwear and orthoses is based on empirical ideas, tradition and costly and time consuming clinical trials. The use of a biomechanical model of the foot in the design of orthoses and footwear, would enable a significant advancement in the speed, quality and cost of footwear and orthoses design. The biomechanical models used to date, however, have a significant flaw in that we do not know or have any basis for how we should divide the foot into appropriate rigid body segments in a biomechanical model. This is the fundamental problem that this project seeks to address. It is important that a model uses a valid and accurate simplification of the foot because if the model is incorrectly constructed, it follows that data and conclusions derived from the model will be inaccurate. We propose to use a unique ' walking simulator ' based at Iowa State University USA to investigate the motion of the leg plus 14 bones in the foot to develop a propoer rationale for the development of a new rigid body model of the foot. Using this model we will then design and validate a protocol for routine collection of motion data from patients, and develop a new biomechanical model to form the basis of future work that will develop a comprehensive modelling tool for improved footwear and orthoses design.
Key Findings
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Organisation Website:	http://www.salford.ac.uk