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Upper Extremity Kinematics And Pain Outcomes During Activities Of Daily Living In Pediatric Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Olivia Yanez Wilwert

Theses and Dissertations

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a group of heritable connective tissue disorders, consisting of thirteen different subtypes. Among the thirteen, Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) is the most common. Individuals with this condition present with frequent joint instability that results in ongoing subluxations and dislocations. Secondary diagnoses of this condition include chronic pain, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The diagnostic process of hEDS is convoluted by the lack of a genetic identifier (Malfait et al., 2017). Individuals with hEDS are often not diagnosed until later in adulthood, leaving their adolescent life full …

Lateral Subvastus Lateralis Versus Medial Parapatellar Approach For Total Knee Arthroplasty, Sahil Prabhnoor S. Sidhu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The current gold standard surgical approach for Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) is a medial parapatellar approach (MPA). We aimed to study a novel lateral subvastus lateralis approach (SLA) for TKA and compare patient outcomes and joint kinematics to the MPA.

Patients with neutral or varus alignment undergoing primary TKA were recruited to undergo the SLA. At one year postoperative, patient outcomes (WOMAC, SF-12, KSS) and joint kinematics (using radio stereometric analysis (RSA)) were analyzed. 7 LPA and 7 MPA patients were compared.

The SLA resulted in improved medial femoral rollback early in flexion, but less “regular” (external) rotation of the …

Biomechanical Analysis Of Total Knee Arthroplasty Performed On A 6 Degree Of Freedom Joint Motion Simulator Linked To A Virtual Ligament Model In Mechanical And Kinematic Alignments, Jance Mcgale

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a very successful surgery providing many patients with increased quality of life. Despite this, some patients are dissatisfied. There are also complications with total knee arthroplasty that lead to the need for revision surgery. Improvements in stability, soft tissue balance, joint kinematics and overall patient satisfaction may lead to a decrease in TKA revisions. It is still unclear what the optimal soft tissue tension, balance or alignment is to provide superior patient outcomes. Computational models provide a means to effectively parameterize ligaments and simulate multiple scenarios of TKA. This work implemented a sophisticated 6-degree of …

The Effects Of Somatosensory Input On Gait In Individuals Post-Stroke, Victor Hung, Amanda Reilly, Rachel Wood, Nikita Yuskov

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background and Purpose: Stroke is a leading cause of disability that results in various neurological deficits, one of which is hemiplegia. This deficit alters the gait cycle, resulting in decreased propulsion force by plantar flexor muscles, decreased activation of dorsiflexor (DF) muscles, and increased coactivation of antagonistic ankle muscles. Stroke also leads to altered somatosensory input which results in decreased balance and gait speed, ultimately increasing fall risk. Therapies targeting increased somatosensory input have been shown to be beneficial in stroke as well as other neurological populations. However, no known studies have investigated the acute effects of local vibration to …

Kinematic And Acoustic Adaptation To A Bite Block During Syllable Production, Allison Marie Barney

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to gain a better understanding of speech adaptation by examining kinematic and acoustic adaptation to bite block perturbation over time. Fifteen native American English speakers (7 female, 8 male) with no history of speech, language, or hearing deficits participated in the study. Custom bite blocks were created for speakers which created a 10mm interincisal gap when inserted. Speakers produced five repetitions of the sentence, I say ahraw /ərɑ/ (as part of a larger set) prior to bite block insertion, immediately following bite block insertion, 2-mintues post insertion, 4-minutes post insertion, 6-minutes post insertion, …

Hippocampal Cholinergic Function And Exploratory Behavior Throughout Development In A Genetic Mouse Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Ashley Andrea Blackwell

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Dementia of the Alzheimer’s type is the most common form of dementia, affecting millions of people worldwide. Specific genetic mutations increase Alzheimer’s disease-related neuropathology and cognitive impairments. Deficits are observed in spatial orientation throughout the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, including wandering behavior or becoming lost in a familiar environment. Dementia of the Alzheimer’s type patients also exhibit disruptions in radial optic flow, which underlies self-movement cue processing. Currently, no treatments exist for Alzheimer’s disease. Genetic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease have been developed to investigate the disease onset and progression and, further, to evaluate potential therapies and behavioral assessments. As …