Life Sciences Commons^™

Functional Outcomes Of Noninvasive Sensory Feedback In Upper Limb Prostheses: A Meta-Analysis, Libby Caldwell

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Noninvasive sensory feedback applies vibration or pressure to the residual limb and is thought to improve the functionality of upper limb prostheses. However, the efficacy of this approach has not been sufficiently investigated, particularly regarding actual amputee efficacy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional benefits of noninvasive sensory feedback in upper limb prostheses through a meta-analysis. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, and PubMed) were searched up to October 2022 using the following search terms: (prosthesis OR prosthetic) AND (hand OR arm OR forearm OR transradial OR “upper limb” OR “upper extremity) AND (tactile OR haptic …

The Effect Of Sensory Input On The Temporal Structure Of Center Of Pressure In Stroke Survivors, Samantha Chong

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Stroke is the leading cause of disability that affects 17 million people worldwide. Patients post-stroke suffer from maintaining balance because the brain may not be able to receive or process visual, vestibular and proprioceptive sensory information: all of which contribute towards maintaining stability. Information provided by vision is important for spatial orientation, as it develops an environmental perspective. Proprioception is detected through the stretching of tendons and surrounding tissue and is able to help the brain determine spatial location. The vestibular system provides a sense of balance detecting rotations and linear accelerations through the vestibulo-ocular reflex. The vestibular system is …

The Effects Of Stiffness Of A Prosthetic Shock-Absorbing Pylon On Mechanical Work During Walking, Jenny Anne Maun

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Name: Jenny Anne Maun

Title: The effects of stiffness of a prosthetic shock-absorbing pylon on mechanical work during walking

Degree: Masters

Faculty Advisor: Kota Z. Takahashi, PhD

Co-authors: Steven A. Gard, PhD; Matthew J. Major, PhD

A prosthetic shock-absorbing pylon (SAP) is intended to attenuate impact forces, provide comfort, and reduce residual limb pain for prosthesis users. However, the effect of an SAP and its spring stiffness on the mechanical work done by the prosthetic limb during walking remains unclear. The purpose of this study: to investigate the effects of SAP spring stiffness and walking speed on the mechanical work …

Walking Adaptations To An Ankle Foot Orthosis In Individuals With Peripheral Artery Disease, Todd Leutzinger, Iraklis Pipinos, Jason Johanning, Mahdi Hassan, Holly Despiegelaere, Mukul Mukherjee, Sara Myers

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Single Session Walking Adaptations to an Ankle Foot Orthosis in Patients with Claudication and Peripheral Artery Disease

Todd Leutzinger^{1, 2}, Iraklis Pipinos^{2, 3}, Jason Johanning^{2, 3}, Mukul Mukherjee¹, Sara Myers^{1, 2}

¹Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE USA

²Nebraska and Western Iowa Veterans Affairs’ Medical Center, Omaha, NE USA

³Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE USA

Email: tleutzinger@unomaha.edu

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is an atherosclerotic disease affecting the arteries of the lower extremities [1]. The primary symptom of PAD is …

How Prosthetic Ankle Stiffness & Load Carriage Affect Metabolic Energy Expenditure During Walking, Erica A. Hedrick, Philippe Malcolm, Jason M. Wilken, Kota Z. Takahashi

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The ankle structures play a key role in body support, forward propulsion and leg swing. One important property of the human ankle is its ‘quasi-stiffness’, or resistance to angular motion. The ankle joint stiffness can play a role in aiding the lower leg as its rocks over the foot. Human biological ankle stiffness changes in response to changes in the mechanical demands of walking (e.g. added load or changes in speed), using active muscle contractions. However, the role of ankle stiffness in regulating metabolic energy across walking conditions is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine how …

3d Prosthetics Effects On Standing Posture In Unilateral Upper Limb Deficient Children, Keaton Young

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

3D Prosthetics Effects on Standing Posture in Unilateral Upper Limb Deficient Children

Keaton Young

Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Introduction

Upper Limb Reduction Deficiency (ULD) is a congenital disability that affects the upper limb, which the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 1,500 babies are born with ULD in the United States yearly ^1,2. Prior research has focused on functional treatment of the upper limbs but has lacked observance of the effects that prosthetics and limb loss incur to the trunk. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the acute effects …

The Relationship Between Linear And Nonlinear Analysis On Activity Data, Katlyn J. Nimtz

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Activity monitoring in older adults is a great way to predict disability without interfering in their daily life. We can analyze that data using linear and nonlinear analysis. While linear analysis measures the variation of activity during a specific period of time (i.e., mean, standard deviation), nonlinear analysis focuses on the evolution of activity over a period of time. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to observe the relationship between linear and nonlinear analysis of activity data obtained by activity monitoring in older adults. Eight participants wore an activity monitor around their waist for seven days. Linear analysis was …

Effect Of The Usage Of Handrails On Gait Dynamics In People With Parkinson's Disease, Daniel Jaravata, Danish Bhatti, Vivien Marmelat

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The purpose of this project is to determine if increasing body stability during handrails-use walking on a treadmill will increase the complexity of gait variability in patients with Parkinsons disease (PD). In young healthy participants, stride time-series of walking presents a pattern of complex variability, but this complexity critically decreases in patients with PD. Complexity is defined as an optimal state between too much regularity and too much irregularity, allowing the locomotor system to maintain robust performances while being able to adapt to perturbations. A possible explanation is that the decrease in complexity results from increased control mechanisms to avoid …

Examining The Minute To Minute Predictability Of Walking Distance Across Multiple Terrains, Tyler Hamer

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

EXAMINING THE MINUTE TO MINUTE PREDICTABILITY OF WALKING DISTANCE ACROSS MULTIPLE TERRAINS

Tyler Hamer, Abderrahman Ouattas, Katlyn Nimtz, & Brian A. Knarr

Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182

With findings that the 6MWT is more efficient than the original 12-minute walk test (12MWT), perhaps it can be evident that even the 6MWT can be shortened to examine its effects in a shorter duration that can be more beneficial to the participant. The objective of this study is to examine the outcomes of each minute throughout the 6MWT trials and to see if functional measures can …

The Effect Of Bilateral Vestibular Stimulation On Locomotor Adaptation, Allison Hoover

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Locomotor adaptation requires input from vision, somatosensory and vestibular systems. The contribution of the vestibular system is important for maintaining postural control during gait specifically orientation of the head on the trunk and acceleration (linear and angular) feedback. Disrupting this system causes instabilities during locomotion. However, it is not clear, how much the vestibular system contributes to gait adaptation. Eighteen healthy adults adapted to a split-belt treadmill task with or without additional vestibular perturbation using bilateral mastoid vibration. The symmetry index for step length and step time, as well as the change in standard deviation in stride time for both …

Augmenting Human Muscle Performance Through Added Foot Stiffness, Samuel F. Ray

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

In human walking, the relationship between foot and ankle structure and function is not fully known. The foot and toe structures seem to dissipate energy while the ankle generates force through the plantarflexor muscles. Increasing foot stiffness through added carbon fiber insoles has been shown to increase force output and decrease contraction velocity of the ankle plantarflexor muscles. This shift in the muscular force-velocity operating range may be beneficial in fast walking. During fast walking, muscle fascicles contract at high velocities and low force output. We predict that added foot stiffness can reduce the metabolic cost of fast walking by …

A Comparison Of Balance Between A Smoker And Never-Smoker, Robert J. Barber

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

“Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) the third leading cause of death in the United States.” “While COPD is defined in terms of fixed airflow limitation, it’s also characterized by the frequent association of complications outside the lung, including compromised balance.” Research has shown “medio-lateral (i.e., side-to-side) balance is altered in patients with COPD compared to controls and is further affected by challenging sensory systems (e.g., eyes closed or uneven surface).” “Smoking increases risk for onset of COPD”, therefore the objective of this study was to investigate balance in smokers. It’s hypothesized that smokers will demonstrate balance deficits, compared to never-smokers. …

Treadmill Walking In Claudication, Shane Lentz

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

INTRO. Claudication is lower leg pain that resides with rest. There are two potential causes of claudication: Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) and Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS). Vasculogenic claudication is the defining characteristic of PAD. There is little research that exists to differentiate the two forms of claudication and there is little no non-invasive to determine which condition is causing the claudication. The purpose of this study is to utilize biomechanics to distinguish between individuals with claudication that arises from neurogenic versus vasculogenic causes. METHODS. Four LSS subjects completed a walking test on a treadmill (Gardner Test). The treadmill is pressure …

Effects Of Serial Subtractions On Elderly Gait Speed In A Virtual Reality Setting, Taylor Leeder

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries in older adults aged 65+ with one in three adults falling each year. Cognitive processes are involved in gait, and thus, as cognitive changes are normative with age, this may impact fall risk in the elderly. Sixteen older adults aged 70.8±5.3 years took part in a dual-task (DT) study where they walked on a split-belt self-paced treadmill with and without a virtual reality (VR) setting while simultaneously performing a serial subtraction (SS) task. For SS, individuals were given a random 3-digit starting number and told to subtract by three from that number …

Effects Of Whole Body Heating During Warm-Up On Strength, Power, And Flexibility, Trevor Krzyzanowski

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Background/Hypothesis: There has been little research investigating the use of external heat to enhance muscular performance. The purpose of this study is to compare the differences between warming up in a hot (H) and neutral (N) temperature environment on muscle performance. Methods: Seven (M:3/F:4) Division I collegiate athletes (age = 20 ± 1; weight = 78.8 ± 24.7 kg; height = 176.2 ± 7.6 cm; body fat 19.7 ± 11.3%) each completed 2-trials in a randomized, counter-balanced order. Subjects warmed up in a temperature and humidity controlled chamber at 20 °C (N) and 40 °C (H), both at 40% humidity, …