Cadaveric gait simulation reproduces foot and ankle kinematics from population-specific inputs

Cadaveric gait simulation allows researchers to directly investigate biomechanical consequences of surgeries using invasive measurement techniques. However, it is unclear if foot and ankle kinematics that are population-specific are reproduced using these devices. Therefore, we assessed foot and ankle kinematics produced in a cadaveric gait simulator during the stance phase of gait in a set of five cadaveric feet. Tibial motions and ground reaction forces previously collected in vivo in a group of healthy adults were applied as inputs parameters. In vitro foot and ankle kinematics were acquired and directly compared to population-specific in vivo kinematics of the same healthy adults from which input parameters were acquired. Analyses were completed using cross correlation to determine the similarities in kinematic profiles and joint ranges of motion were calculated to determine absolute differences in kinematics. Ankle, subtalar, and talonavicular in vitro joint kinematics were positively correlated to in vivo joint kinematics (rxy  = 0.57-0.87). Further, in vivo and in vitro foot and ankle kinematics demonstrated similar amounts of within-group variability (rxy  = 0.50-0.85 and rxy  = 0.72-0.76, respectively). Our findings demonstrate that cadaveric gait simulation techniques reproduce population-specific foot and ankle kinematics, providing a valuable research tool for testing surgical treatments of foot and ankle maladies. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:1663-1668, 2016.