Musculoskeletal System Commons^™

Exploration Of The Association Between Muscle Volume And Bone Geometry Reveals Surprising Relationship At The Genetic Level, Prakrit Subba

Masters Theses

The evolution of jaws in cichlid fishes of the East African Great Lakes is a textbook example of adaptive radiation in vertebrates. Karl Liem postulated that this adaptive radiation has been possible due to the functional decoupling of two cichlid functional units – the pharyngeal jaw (PJ) and the oral jaw (OJ). This functional decoupling of the jaws has enabled the OJ to be relieved of its dual role of prey capturing and processing and has allowed the PJ to take on the role of prey processing. As a result, African cichlids have adapted the morphology of their functional units …

Assessment Of Landing Biomechanics And Rehabilitation After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Sheila S. Gagnon

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Aberrant landing biomechanics increase the risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and are a focus of rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction. The purpose of the present thesis was to develop and evaluate methods of assessing landing mechanics and investigate the effects of different rehabilitation strategies after ACL reconstruction. Three studies were conducted. The first study used a Delphi process to develop the content of a Clinician-Rated Drop Vertical Jump Scale to evaluate jump landing mechanics during rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction. Twenty experts participated in four rounds of questioning, resulting in 92% agreement for knee valgus collapse, lateral trunk lean, insufficient …

Novel Computational Infant Musculoskeletal Model For Biomechanical Analysis Of Infant Movement, Yeram Lim

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Computational musculoskeletal models are increasing in commonality and popularity in the study of biomechanics. These models, however, are mainly used to represent fully developed adults, while infant musculoskeletal models are nonexistent. This study aims to develop a novel computational infant musculoskeletal model for biomechanical analysis of infant movement. For this study, 31 reflective markers were placed on an infant, and marker-based motion capture data was collected. The computational study used a generic GAIT2392 OpenSim musculoskeletal model that was scaled to create a customized subject-specific infant model. By using the motion capture data recorded of the infant during a kicking motion, …

An Investigation On The Influences Of Radial Head Hemiarthroplasty Stem Fixation Techniques On Articular Mechanics, Jakub Szmit

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Radial head hemiarthroplasty design has been extensively studied with a focus on utilizing the geometrical characteristics of the native radial dish as a guide of implant placement and design. Although implant design has been studied, optimal radial head implant fixation technique remains unknown. This thesis focused on the effect of stem fit on radiocapitellar contact mechanics, using both finite element and experimental bench-top approaches. Additionally, investigation into the impact of varus/valgus malalignment of the radial head in both the native state and following hemiarthroplasty was conducted. It was found that loose fitting a smooth stem axisymmetric radial head implant through …

Implementing A Multi-Segment Foot Model In A Clinical Setting To Measure Inter-Segmental Joint Motions, Tahereh Amiri

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

It has been illustrated that measuring inter-segmental joint motions of the foot using a dynamic method is required to evaluate the function and level of impairment of the foot joints. Optical motion tracking using the multi-segment foot model (MSFM) developed by Jenkyn and Nicole (2007), has been demonstrated to be a valid tool for measuring the motion of the joints within the foot. However, in current practice, inter-segmental joint motions of this model are measured using a custom-written software (MATLAB) and it limits the clinical usefulness of this model. Hence, this study implemented the MSFM introduced by Jenkyn and Nicole …

Impact Of Parity On Gait Biomechanics, Bekah P. Stein

Masters Theses

Background: Symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA) is an incurable condition that affects nearly 50% of adults, and women are twice as likely as men to develop OA. Throughout pregnancy, women experience large changes in morphology and gait mechanics, as well as changes in joint loading. It is possible these adaptations could cause lasting changes postpartum, which may potentially contribute to initiation of OA, thereby increasing the overall risk of OA for women.

Purpose: This exploratory study looked to identify differences between lower limb gait mechanics of healthy nulliparous women and healthy parous women.

Methods: 28 healthy female participants (14 parous, 14 …

An Investigation Of Stress-Related Factors And Injury Occurrence In Division Iii Ice Hockey Athletes 2020., Christian Kiesel

Master's Theses

Many variables can factor into a student athlete sustaining an injury, but one of the most interesting is stress. The Stress and Injury Model is excellent in explaining how exactly history of stressors, personality, and coping mechanisms play a pivotal role in the stress response. If these three factors cause a negative stress response, then that will lead to an athlete becoming more likely to become injured. This study used 40 ice hockey players from a Division III NCAA institution. Each participant completed the Inventory of College Students’ Recent Life Experiences (ICSRLE) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) every month …

Quadriceps Muscle Layer Thickness In Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Potential Measure Of Frailty And Sarcopenia, Max A. Levine

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Introduction: Frailty and sarcopenia are related concepts that can impact outcomes after kidney transplantation. Measures of these two entities and new/emerging metrics of sarcopenia remain to be validated.

Methods: In a prospective cohort study, kidney and kidney-pancreas transplant recipients were assessed at the time of transplant with the Physical Frailty Phenotype, bioimpedance analysis, quadriceps muscle layer thickness (QMLT), and CT. The impact on length of stay (LOS), prediction of frailty/sarcopenia, and relative concordance of metrics were analyzed.

Results: Low QMLT, a putative surrogate of sarcopenia/frailty, was more frequently associated with longer LOS (>14 days) after transplant. Additionally, QMLT was …

In Vitro Immune Activation By Treponema Pallidum And The Effect On Osteoclastogenesis: First Experimental Step Towards An Integration Between Osteoimmunology And Paleopathology., Emily Ann Rich

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

The presence of pathogens in the human body influences the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines by activated immune cells. These cytokines, and other factors, regulate osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast activity. Through experimental osteoimmunology, interactions between the inflammatory response and bone cell physiology may provide insight into how immune processes can be translated into the lesions or abnormalities observed in the osteological record. In this research, our objective was to determine if the cytokines produced by activated immune cells increase osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast activity. To evaluate this hypothesis, we used two main protocols, one for immune activation and one for osteoclastogenesis, that utilized …

Examining Permeability And Contractility Of Skeletal Muscle In Castrated Male Mice, Evan Scott

Health and Exercise Physiology Honors Papers

A common method of treating skeletal muscle injury is temperature therapy. Temperature affects one of the initial aspects of skeletal muscle healing, the increasing of vascular permeability. Previous data accumulated from the Ursinus College Skeletal Muscle Lab suggests that vascular permeability following temperature therapy is different between the anatomically intact male and female mice. However, there have not been any studies to date that are able determine the cause of these permeability differences following temperature treatment. In addition, it is currently unclear how increased vascular permeability affects skeletal muscle healing. A possible cause for these differences is the increased presence …

The Of Application Of 3d-Printing To Lumbar Spine Surgery, Andrew J. Kanawati

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Rapid prototyping refers to the manufacturing process in which a three-dimensional (3D) digital model can be transformed into a physical model by layering material in the shape of successive cross sections atop of previously layers. Rapid prototyping has been increasing in popularity in the field of medicine and surgery due to the ability to personalize various aspects of patient care. The thesis will explore the use of rapid prototyping in lumbar spine surgery, aim to quantify the accuracy of medical imaging when relating to imaged structures and their corresponding models produced by rapid prototyping, and determine if complex patient-specific guides …

A Comparison Of Power Variables For Two Loading Methods In Weighted Vertical Jumps 2020, Jonathan Tanguay

Master's Theses

Training exercises to develop muscular strength and power, such as the weighted jump squat, commonly utilize barbells and dumbbells to increase resistance. Strength coaches often measure improvements in peak force, peak power, and rate of force development to determine effectiveness of a training program. The purpose of this study was to determine if equipment selection (barbells vs. dumbbells) affects peak force, peak power, and/or rate of force development in weighted jump squats. Thirteen physically active, college-aged males (age: 21.6 ± 2.0 years, height: 182.8 ± 9.7 cm, body mass: 87.2 ± 9.0 kg, lean mass: 72.3 ± 8.1 kg) performed …

Investigating The Role Of Nuclear Receptor Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Δ In Obesity-Associated Osteoarthritis, Bethia C. To

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a heterogeneous disease, differentiated based by risk factors that drive joint damage. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARd) is a nuclear receptor previously implicated in cartilage damage in OA. Given its deleterious role in post-traumatic OA and in regulating metabolism, we hypothesized that PPARd inhibition will protect against obesity-associated OA. Diet-induced obesity was used to induce OA in mice. Mice fed the western diet for 40 weeks exhibited mild OA, with subchondral bone remodelling occurring alongside cartilage damage. Cartilage-specific Ppard knockout (KO) mice were generated to study its role in metabolic OA. Both wildtype and PPARd KO mice …

The Effects Of Intrinsic Foot Muscle Strengthening On Foot Posture, Balance, And Agility In Ice Hockey Players, Rebecca Eve Veltrie

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Context: Research has shown that intrinsic foot muscle strengthening over a 4-week period is beneficial for improvements in dynamic postural control, function, stability and foot posture. Ice hockey is a sport that requires immense levels of balance, stability and performance on the lateral aspect of the skate. With research lacking on the impact of intrinsic foot muscle strengthening on ice hockey athletes’ balance, foot posture and performance, implementation of such a program may be beneficial for ice hockey players. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of foot intrinsic muscle strengthening versus a traditional …

Inter-Rater Reliability And Intra-Rater Reliability Of Synchronous Ultrasound Imaging And Electromyography Measure Of The Lumbopelvic-Hip Muscle Complex, Courtney Caputo

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of synchronous ultrasound imaging and electromyography measures of lumbopelvic-hip muscle activity performed by a novice and an experienced investigator in healthy individuals. Electromyography (EMG) has served as the gold standard for quantification of onset of muscle activation; however, ultrasound imaging can visualize muscle activity when collected simultaneously. Methods: A novice and experienced investigator collected a series of 3 ultrasound images at rest and 3 M-mode clips during contraction of each muscle while EMG electrodes collected muscle activity. Muscles collected included: external oblique, erector spinae, rectus abdominis, gluteus …

Artificial Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty Joint Project, Michael Rosen, Bailei Hoyng

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This proposed project will be developing an artificial reverse shoulder arthroplasty joint that focuses on improvements to the Zimmer Biomet Comprehensive Reverse System by freating a unique feature, or features, to the humeral component that focuses on the prevention of dislocation by not limiting the range of motion of men from ages 45 to 65 years.

The development of the this project will utilize the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) medical device design process. This project will involve a total of four Biomedical Engineering students from the University of Akron. Two students, Michael and Bailei, are in the Honors college …

Assessing Methods For Estimating Biological Sex From Subadult Skeletal Elements, Dorota Zabnicka

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

While methods for estimating the sex of adult skeletons are relatively accurate, these methods are often inconclusive when applied to subadults (non-adults), especially when many secondary sexual characteristics have not fully developed. Furthermore, existing methods for subadults are often tested on samples with relatively homogenous ancestries, calling into question their reliability in more diverse populations. This thesis reviewed techniques for estimating sex in subadult skeletal remains, and the most promising methods were retested on individuals of known sex between ages 3 and 17 years (n=39, 14 males, 25 females) from the Hamann-Todd Osteological Collection. Data collection included measurements of the …

Effects Of A Strength Training Intervention And Quality Of Life: Case Study On A Sedentary Adult Female, Lucas Frazier

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of the project is to evaluate physiological and quality of life changes in a

sedentary, senior-aged (55 or older) female using a six-week strength training

intervention. This case study will instruct how to perform a push-pull-legs split

routine by going to the gym three times per week. Prior to the six week intervention,

both quantitative and qualitative variables will be collected to assess baseline data,

including the subject’s resting heart rate, resting blood pressure, grip strength, one-

repetition maximum on seven whole body exercises (dumbbell bicep curl, tricep

pushdown, barbell bench press, wide-grip lat pull-down, seated dumbbell press, …

Analyzing The Effects Of Opioids On Cortical Pore Networks In Rabbit Tibiae And Femora, Kassidy Wilson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The following project was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) (Protocol number #18-11-12 ARC). This study was completed as a subset of Dr. Andronowski's overarching lab project. Femora and tibiae were procured from New Zealand White rabbits to study the prolonged effects of opioid use in bone remodeling. This specific project analyzed the effects of opioids on the pore networks and the pore orientation.