Musculoskeletal System Commons^™

Minimizing Musculoskeletal Injury Risk In Health Care Professionals With Education On Safe Patient Handling, Aubrey Graves

Honors College Theses

Introduction: Nursing is a high-risk occupation for musculoskeletal injuries due to the strenuous activity of patient handling. These tasks include, assisting a patient in bed, moving a patient from the bed to a wheelchair, and assisting with walking. These work-related tasks can create a large amount of stress on the body, especially the back if proper technique is not utilized and/or if excessive loads are applied. The purpose of this study is to examine if teaching proper body mechanics and the dangers of not performing the tasks properly is an effective way of reducing musculoskeletal injuries.

Methods: The NUR 202 …

Investigating The Role Of The Skeletal Muscle In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Neuromuscular Junction Dysfunction, Agnes Badu-Mensah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Neuromuscular junction (NMJ) dysfunction has been identified as one of the earliest events in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) pathology. However, which tissue type induces NMJ disruption; be it the motoneurons (hMN), Schwann cells or skeletal muscle (hSKM) remains unresolved. While mechanisms by which ALS hMN contribute to NMJ dysfunction are well-described in literature, limited information exist on how the other tissue types in the tripartite synapse (hSKM and Schwann cells) induce and/or contribute to ALS NMJ disruption. A fair understanding of the role of each tissue type in NMJ dysfunction would help shape the trajectory of future ALS research and …

Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: Evaluating Postoperative Rehabilitation Progress And Return To Sport Readiness, Trevor A. Day

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) is a common cause of non-arthritic hip pain and reduced physical activity in active young adults. It is defined as a motion-related disorder of the hip with a triad of symptoms, clinical signs, and imaging findings that represents symptomatic premature contact between the proximal femur and the acetabulum. There are two anatomical morphologies that can cause FAIS, cam, and pincer, and is a challenging clinical pathology. Patients typically undergo hip arthroscopy to repair damage to the joint and recess the bone causing the impingement. These procedures can result in positive outcomes for the patient, like reduced …

Visuomotor Adaptation During Asymmetric Walking, Charles Napoli

Masters Theses

Necessary for effective ambulation, head stability affords optimal conditions for the perception of visual information during dynamic tasks. This maintenance of head-in-space equilibrium is achieved, in part, by the attenuation of the high frequency impact shock resulting from ground contact. While a great deal of experimentation has been done on the matter during steady state locomotion, little is known about how head stability or dynamic visual acuity is maintained during asymmetric walking.

In this study, fifteen participants were instructed to walk on a split-belt treadmill for ten minutes while verbally reporting the orientation of a randomized Landolt-C optotype that was …

Multiple Sclerosis And Its Symptom Management Through Supplementation And Dietary Planning, Lindsey J. Davis

Selected Honors Theses

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune, neuroinflammatory disorder that is characterized by the breakdown of myelinated axons in the Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems. It is a potentially debilitating autoimmune disease that affects almost 1 million people in the United States, and nearly 2.5 million people worldwide. The precise etiology of MS is still being researched, but much progress has been made towards understanding the molecular mechanisms and impactful ways to treat this disease. While there is still no cure, new treatment plans are constantly being orchestrated in effort to alleviate the burden that MS carries. Combination treatment plans have …

Coordination Variability And Injury Risk In Experienced Collegiate Dancers, Emily Klinkman

All NMU Master's Theses

Dance is a sport that places a number of physical demands upon the human body, and injuries are a common occurrence in the sport. While it has not yet been linked to dance-related injury, coordination variability (CV) is a measure of how much movement strategy changes between repetitions of a task and low levels of CV have been linked to injury in other sports. This study aimed to determine the relationship between CV and dance injury in collegiate dancers. Eight (8) undergraduate student subjects were recruited from the dance major and minor, BFA major and minor, and recreational dancers who …

Analysis Of Time-Dependent Adaptations Of Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Morphology During Standing-Induced Symptoms Of Low Back Pain, Donald Aboytes

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Low back pain (LBP) is a traumatic impairment for individuals with staggering socioeconomic burden. The etiology of LBP is exceedingly complex and confounded by comorbidities. The source of pain is difficult to pin-point because the offending stimuli are not always known. One promising avenue is to investigate the progression of LBP symptoms in young and otherwise healthy individuals. The population that exhibits preclinical LBP in prolonged standing may be particularly suitable for understanding the anatomical changes that occur during the progression of the symptoms. Since the pain symptoms subside upon exiting the standing position, they are an ideal demographic to …

Analysis Of Botulinum Toxin A And Interacting Proteins In Skeletal Muscle Cells: An Investigation Into The Mechanisms Of Botulinum Toxin A As A Treatment For Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome, Lauren Kee

Pence-Boyce STEM Student Scholarship

Background: Chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) is a condition in which muscle tissue expands against the surrounding fascia during activity and is compressed along with the nerves and blood vessels within the muscle compartment, leading to abnormally high intracompartmental pressure (ICP) and debilitating pain. Treatment typically includes fasciotomy, which results in significant levels of CECS recurrence; however, botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) injection has recently been seen to decrease both ICP and pain through an unknown mechanism with little to no recurrence.

Methods: In this study, cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), prostaglandin E₂ receptor 4 (EP4), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), …

Therapeutic Exercise Influences On Activity Of The Multifidus Muscles In Horses, Tena L. Ursini

Doctoral Dissertations

Back pain is a worldwide debilitating condition that affects humans and animals alike. Lower back pain in humans can be caused by a myriad of conditions, including idiopathic origin. Spinal stability is compromised during disease, and a lack of stability also contributes to pathologic spinal conditions. Regardless of species, the stability of the spine depends on bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles. Muscles provide the only active component that can counteract various loads applied to the body. There are several muscle groups that contribute to spinal mechanics. The erector spinae group are large superficial muscles the lie along each side of …

The Effect Of Chronic Alcohol Consumption On Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage In Young Men, Emma Hamilton, Grant Hilliard

Honors Theses

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of chronic alcohol consumption on exercise-induced muscle damage of the knee extensors in young men. METHODS: Twenty-one males (age 21.9 ± 1.1 yr; weight 183.4 ± 27.6 lbs; height 174.0 ± 13.1 cm) performed 100 maximal eccentric contractions at 30°/sec of the knee extensors using their non-dominant leg. The isometric and isokinetic muscle strengths (60°/sec and 180°/sec) were measured pre-exercise and immediately, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 96 h, and 120 h post-exercise. Muscle soreness and plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity were measured pre-exercise and 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 96 h, and …

Ketogenic Diet As A Preventative Measure Or Treatment Option For Osteoarthritistargeting Nfl Athletes As A High-Risk Group, Kelsi J. Smith

Selected Honors Theses

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent joint disease that results from the degradation of articular cartilage, leading to inflammation, pain, and eventual joint failure. At one time, it was thought that OA was only the result of the natural decline experienced in old age; however, various risk factors have now been identified that may contribute to an increased risk for developing OA. Risk factors may include joint loading, altered biomechanics, obesity, and joint injury, to which athletes are exposed at a high rate. NFL athletes are one group of athletes that have continued to show a high prevalence of arthritis in …

Assessing The Validity Of The Estimation Of Population Affinity From The Maxillary Hard Palate: An Empirical Approach Using A Modern Forensic Sample, Christopher M. Goden

LSU Master's Theses

In response to Beathard and DiGangi’s (2020) call to action for empirical assessment of population affinity estimation methodology, this study investigates the validity of maxillary palate shape as an indicator of ancestral population affinity for human skeletal remains through the use of Elliptical Fourier Analysis (EFA) and Linear Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA). Further, this study also places emphasis on the expressed variation of palate shape within and between population groups exemplified by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of EFA data.

Computed tomography scans of 180 individuals of Black, White, and Hispanic population affinities were obtained from the New Mexico Decedent Imaging …

The Role Of Gsk3 Alpha And Beta In Embryonic Craniofacial Development, Harman Jassar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: The GSK-3 genes (Gsk3a and Gsk3b) have been known to affect many cellular processes and signaling pathways some of which are implicated in the growth and development of the craniofacial skeleton.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of chondrocyte-specific deletion of Gsk3a and Gsk3b on the size of the mandible and craniofacial skeleton in embryonic mice.

Materials & Methods: Mice were bred to generate cartilage-specific Gsk3a and Gsk3b KO mice. On embryonic day 18.5 (E18.5) the offspring were gathered by caesarian section. Whole mount skeletal staining was completed on the specimens using …

The Impact Of Combined Flexion And Compression On The Mechanical Integrity Of The Annulus Fibrosus, Keaton Briar

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Introduction: Intervertebral disc (IVD) herniation is characterized by an expulsion of nucleus pulposus (NP) material through the annulus fibrosus (AF). The AF contains two major adhesive structures, the intralamellar matrix and the interlamellar matrix, which act to maintain the strength of the AF and prevent NP material migration. As a herniation occurs, clefts form within the intralamellar matrix, pushing the NP between adjacent collagen fibres; meanwhile, delamination of the interlamellar matrix causes the NP to pool between layers of the AF. Further, herniation more readily occurs in a combined loading scenario of both compression and flexion. Flexion, and in particular …

Cellular Bioenergetics Regulates Cell Proliferation During Mammalian Regeneration, Sandeep Saxena

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Mammalian system consists of stress-sensing molecules that regulates their cellular response against damage, injury and oncogenic stress. During vertebrate regeneration, cells responding to injury re-enter the cell cycle and proliferate to form new tissue. Cell cycle re-entry or arrest is at least partly regulated by cellular senescence which negatively impacts the proliferative pool of cells during regeneration. What remains unclear is whether cells in regenerating systems possess an increased propensity to proliferate and are refractory to signals that induce senescence. My thesis work has focused on how fibroblasts from the ear pinna differentially regulate healing in highly regenerative mammals (e.g., …

Acoustic Detection Of Developmental Dysplasia Of The Hip In Models Representing Neonates, Pinak Raodeo

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a condition that involves the dislocation of the head of the femur in the acetabulum of the pelvic bone. Although it may not interfere with a child's range of motion during infancy, DDH can cause various effects over time such as joint pain, abnormal gait, and even paralysis. It is crucial to catch this phenomenon early on so that permanent disability is not introduced to the patient. In this study, an excitation device was used to send a broadband frequency signal through a hip joint simulated by a 3D printed bone apparatus consisting …

The Real Hunger Games: Disordered Eating In Male Endurance Athletes And Implications For Bone Health, Sarah Smagacz

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

n this thesis, I aim to identify the social factors that cause men with disordered eating and negative body images to be neglected in research, explain a possible mechanism for bone injuries in male endurance athletes, and identify sociocultural factors that could make subpopulations of athletes more susceptible to disordered eating, hormone dysfunction, and bone injuries. The consequences of the physiological dysfunction resulting from disordered eating is not limited to the time in which the individual has disordered eating, but can impact the individual for the rest of their life. I will summarize research about female athletes’ patterns of disordered …

Simulation Of A Rat Muscle-Tendon Unit With Hill-Type Model Dynamics And The Study Of Viscoelasticity In A Collagen Molecule Via Molecular Dynamics, Veronica Siko

West Chester University Master’s Theses

The field of biological science has established that tendons transfer muscular forces to adjacent bones, but there is a dearth of information about the underlying physical principles of these interactions and how the property of viscoelasticity (displayed in tendons as a difference in mechanical response to stress with differing stretching rates) is encompassed in the collagen of tendons. This thesis details the results of concentric and eccentric contractions of the rat muscle-tendon unit (MTU) with and without viscoelasticity (concentric contraction requires active shortening of the muscle, while eccentric contraction requires active lengthening of the muscle) (Lovering & Brooks, 2014). Once …