Modelling of gastrocnemius muscle using Hill’s equation in COMSOL Multiphysics 4.0a

This paper summarizes the force generated by gastrocnemius muscle for the analysis of muscoskeletal simulation in human locomotion using Hill‟s muscle model. Biomechanics of Hill‟s equation describes the study of physical phenomenon by means of mathematical model that relates force and muscle length with the help of a partial differential equation. To calculate maximum fatigue in the muscle and to discriminate strained muscle from the normal one FEM based modelling was done in COMSOL Multiphysics 4.0a. The model parameters were evaluated using similar in vitro experiments performed on frog‟s gastrocnemius muscle. The biomechanical model was then incorporated into human body for the purpose of predicting force length response for all the four phases of gait cycle. Evaluating the response for gait cycle will enable the physiotherapist to obtain clues for muscle weakness and fatigue in a rehabilitation program and will lead to more efficient gait pattern resulting in decreased risk of injury and improved muscular balance.