Janet Dufek (Integrated Health Sciences) along with Mohamed Trabia (Engineering) and Jessica DeBerardinis (Mechanical Engineering) co-authored “A Viscoelastic Ellipsoidal Model of the Mechanics of Plantar Tissues,” which appeared May 30 in the online version of the Journal of Biomechanics. The study evaluated geometric and material variables of a proposed ellipsoidal model of plantar tissue stiffness and damping, and produced results that showed reasonably accurate reproductions of ground reaction force. This research can potentially lead to predicting onset of diabetes based on changes in plantar tissue characteristics.
