Anatomically based anisotropic finite element modeling and contact geometry analysis of the fingertip

To address the demand for high-fidelity fingertip models, this study compares isotropic (Neo-Hookean) and anisotropic (HGO) finite element models incorporating radial collagen fibers. While the isotropic model fits macroscopic mechanical responses, it exhibits geometric distortion under a 2.0 N load (width/length errors: +3.0% and -7.3%). In contrast, the anisotropic model corrects these deviations (errors converging to -1.9% and -0.14%) while maintaining macroscopic consistency. Results confirm that incorporating physiological anisotropy significantly enhances the predictive accuracy of fingertip contact mechanics.