Combining finite element analysis with a machine learning technique for rapid prediction of subject-specific achilles tendon tissue stress

Heterogenous strain distribution within the Achilles tendon has been regarded as a main contributor of the overuse injuries and tendinopathy. Yet it is not possible to measure internal tissue stress/strain distribution in real time due to technical and computational difficulties. We present here a method that combines FE analysis and machine learning techniques and show that this can be a promising candidate for measuring subject-specific internal tissue stress/strain distributions within the Achilles tendon.