The Position and Movement of the Foot in Emergency Manoeuvres and the Influence of Tension in the Achilles Tendon

Accident injury studies have clearly shown that skeletal ankle injuries are a significant cause of temporary and permanent impairment and can lead to long term morbidity. In this paper the use of a driving simulator to present car drivers with situations requiring emergency braking is reported. The mean peak force applied to the brake pedal was 750N (o 327) with the foot plantar flexed by 18° (o 11.5). This plantar flexing force was applied through the achilles tendon in a series of post mortem human surrogate tests, to evaluate the effect of bracing on lower leg behaviour in dynamic impacts. Significant effects on axial loading, movement of the foot at the ankle and mean impactor force were demonstrated. There was no significant effect on peak bending moments in the tibia.