Homeomorphic Sobolev extensions of parametrizations of Jordan curves

Each homeomorphic parametrization of a Jordan curve via the unit circle extends to a homeomorphism of the entire plane. It is a natural question to ask if such a homeomorphism can be chosen so as to have some Sobolev regularity. This prompts the simplified question: for a homeomorphic embedding of the unit circle into the plane, when can we find a homeomorphism from the unit disk that has the same boundary values and integrable first-order distributional derivatives? We give the optimal geometric criterion for the interior Jordan domain so that there exists a Sobolev homeomorphic extension for any homeomorphic parametrization of the Jordan curve. The problem is partially motivated by trying to understand which boundary values can correspond to deformations of finite energy.
Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures