Load-bearing pattern of the ankle joint. Contact area and pressure distribution.

The contact area of eight human talocrural joints was measured. After preparation, the talocrural joint was set into the compression machine. Under loading the casting was made by silicon rubber and the pressure distribution was measured by pressure sensor sheet. The contact area was localized at anterior and lateral parts. Under 1,500 N loading, the contact area was 522 mm2 and the maximum pressure was 9.9 MPa. Slight diastasis caused a decrease of the contact area and an increase of pressure.