Biomechanics and Biotransport Commons^™

Effect Of Prostaglandin E2 On Mechanical Stresses Applied By Mc3t3-E1 Osteoblast-Like Cells On A Soft Hydrogel Substrate, Abhijit Deb Roy

Master's Theses

Osteoblasts are sensitive to mechanical stimuli and release Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) when exposed to a fluid shear stress. The exact mechanism by which these cells sense mechanical stress is not well established. A study of the stresses applied by the osteoblasts, under the influence of PGE2, on a hydrogel provided information regarding intercellular-communication via changes in the substrate surface pattern.

A digital image correlation program was developed using the Levenberg-Marquardt optimization algorithm to analyze images and compare the deformations between pairs of images. Comparisons of images before and after the addition of PE2 to the media showed differences in the …

Finite Element Analysis Of The Effect Of Low-Speed Rear End Collisions On The Medial Meniscus, Daniel J. Tichon

Master's Theses

Low-speed, rear end vehicle collisions can inflict soft tissue damage to the passenger’s knees, especially the medial meniscus, which has been previously unexplained in published literature.  It is difficult to determine if factors such as age or other injury was the primary cause of the injury or if the accident acutely caused the meniscal tear.  Rear end collisions may produce a combination of compressive loading and torque about the knee that will injure the medial meniscus during the initial impact and the rebound phase.  The purpose of this study is to determine if it is possible for rear end low-speed …

The Use Of Motion Analysis Technology As An Alternative Means Of Assessing Spinal Deformity In Patients With Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, Matthew J. Solomito

Master's Theses

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is a three dimensional deformity of the spine that causes abnormal curvatures in the coronal and sagittal planes and abnormal vertebral rotations. The gold standard for diagnosing and tracking the progression of the deformity is through the use of repeated radiography and a patient can receive upwards of fifteen radiographic series over the course of treatment, which exposes this population to an increased risk of radiation-dependent complications.

This thesis presents the necessary calculations and the marker set required to make the motion capture technology a viable alternative to radiographs, in an effort to reduce the patient’s …

Gas Embolic Factors In Cardiovascular Health, Eric L. Cutler

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Gas emboli are a clinical issue often encountered in the space exploration, marine construction, and medical fields.  Individuals involved with these disciplines will often have asympomatic gas emboli circulating throughout their bodies on a regular basis.  A study into the impact of chronic asymptomatic gas emboli on the risk of atherosclerosis in humans is thus presented.  This research utilized a custom built cardiovascular flow simulator and accompanying data acquisition system to experimentally determine the influence of gas emboli under varied circumstances on the mean wall shear stress of a tube in-vitro.  A directly inverse relationship between gas embolus presence in …

Ultrasonic And Stereo-Optical Characterization Techniques For Applications In Mechanical Testing, Jonathan M. Hein

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis considers methods developed based on ultrasonic reflections from interfaces and stereo-optical surface strain measurements to study the mechanical characterization of materials and bodies. The ultrasonic method is used to characterize wave speed and attenuation for highly attenuating samples. The stereo-optical strain measurements are used to characterize the effects of genes on mechanical properties of bone, and the dynamic characterization of blast waves in the UNL Shock Wave Trauma Mechanics facility.

A method is described and developed for characterizing the wave speed and attenuation spectrums from reflected waves from the contact surface with an unknown material. The method is …

Investigation Of Pmma Cement Penetration In Prepared Femoral Heads With A Longitudinal Slot For Hip Resurfacing Arthroplasty, Scott Snyder

Biomedical Engineering

Hip resurfacing arthroplasty is becoming increasingly popular in younger, active patients due to its preservation of natural biomechanics. Failure of these implants can be very traumatic and potentially life threatening. The role of cement penetration in early implant failure is not yet known, and must be investigated. This study specifically investigates the effects of a 5mm by 5mm longitudinal channel on cement penetration into the femoral head. High-density open-cell reticulated vitreous carbon foam cylinders and Huntsman Pro-cast® 20 implants based on the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing implant were used. It was determined cement penetration was increased in the area immediately surrounding …

Custom-Molded Foot-Orthosis Intervention And Multisegment Medial Foot Kinematics During Walking, Mark Geil

Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Estimation Of The Centre Of Mass From Motion Capture And Force Plate Recordings: A Study On The Elderly, Sebastien Cotton, Michele Vanoncini, Philippe Fraisse, Nacim Ramdani, Emel Demircan, Andrew P. Murray, Thierry Keller

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The estimation of the centre of mass position in humans is usually based on biomechanical models developed from anthropometric tables. This method can potentially introduce errors in studies involving elderly people, since the ageing process is typically associated with a modification of the distribution of the body mass. In this paper, an alternative technique is proposed, and evaluated with an experimental study on 9 elderly volunteers. The technique is based on a virtual chain, identified from experimental data and locating the subject's centre of mass. Its configuration defines the location of the centre of mass, and is a function of …

Distal Radioulnar Joint Biomechanics And Forearm Muscle Activity, Joseph Scott Bader

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Optimal management of fractures, post-traumatic arthritis and instability of the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) requires an understanding of the forces existing across this joint as a function of the activities of daily living. However, such knowledge is currently incomplete. The goal of this research was to quantify the loads that occur at the DRUJ during forearm rotation and to determine the effect that individual muscles have on those loads.

Human and cadaver studies were used to analyze the shear (A-P), transverse (M-L) and resultant forces at the DRUJ and to determine the role that 15 individual muscles had on those …

Analysis Of The Performance Of Peanut Fame In A Single Cylinder Idi Engine And Investigations Of Neat Methyl Ester Influence On Fuel Quality, Jeffery Lewis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Author's abstract: To meet evolving standards set forth by the U.S. EPA and U.S. Energy Policy it is necessary to consider a variety of feedstock for biofuels synthesis and to understand the role individual fatty acids contribute to the overall performance. It is the belief of the authors that excess peanut production would provide an excellent source for high quality biodiesel feedstock, and the complete property and combustion analysis of the fatty acid components will provide insight for future biofuel developments. The preliminary investigations of the project focused on the combustion performance and thermal efficiency of peanut FAME and its …

Personal Navigation Via High-Resolution Gait-Corrected Inertial Measurement Units, Özkan Bebek, Michael A. Suster, Srihari Rajgopal, Michael J. Fu, Xuemei Huang, M. Cenk Çavu¸So˘Glu,, Darrin J. Young, Mehran Mehregany, Antonie J. Van Den Bogert, Carlos H. Mastrangelo

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper, a personal micronavigation system that uses high-resolution gait-corrected inertial measurement units is presented. The goal of this paper is to develop a navigation system that uses secondary inertial variables, such as velocity, to enable long-term precise navigation in the absence of Global Positioning System (GPS) and beacon signals. In this scheme, measured zerovelocity duration from the ground reaction sensors is used to reset the accumulated integration errors from accelerometers and gyroscopes in position calculation. With the described system, an average position error of 4 m is achieved at the end of half-hour walks.

Rapid Cell Extraction In Aqueous Two-Phase Microdroplet Systems, Kalpana Vijayakumar, Shelly Gulati, Andrew J. De Mello, Joshua B. Edel

All Faculty Articles - School of Engineering and Computer Science

Distinguishing specific cells is an essential technique in cell research and clinical diagnostics. We report a novel method to passively isolate and extract cells in a microfluidic device. We utilise a droplet-based microfluidic system to generate an aqueous two phase system in which aqueous droplets consist of two phases in the form of a double emulsion. Specifically, we generate PEG droplets that completely encapsulate DEX droplets within a microfluidic channel. Target cells can be introduced directly into the droplets and driven to partition to the more favourable phase, whilst still being contained within the aqueous droplet. Human T lymphoma cells, …

3d Micro-Mr And Micro-Ct Models For Determining In-Vivo Function In The Guinea Pig Knee Model Of Osteoarthritis (Oa), Kristoffer W. Dean

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating disease that affects an estimated 27 million adults in the United States. OA causes damage to cartilage in the joints resulting in bones that rub together. This creates pain, swelling, loss of motion of the joint, and bone spurs. As the number of adults above 65 grows (an estimated 72 million people by 2030) even more people will be at high risk for OA. It is the most common type of arthritis by far yet very little is known about it including relationships between joint structure and function. In 2004, the NIH created the Osteoarthritis …

Integration Of Microfluidics With Surface Plasmon Resonance, Scott B. Fratzke

Master's Theses

This thesis successfully integrates laminate microfluidic devices with an analytic Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) instrument. Integration was accomplished at low-cost using materials such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), Tygon tubing, and a 3-way stopcock. The main components of this thesis are the design and fabrication of the low-cost, in-house fluidics that can integrate with upstream microfluidics and the validation of the in-house fluidics using the Biosensing Instruments BI-2000 SPR instrument. The low-cost fluidics was designed and fabricated “in-house” using a novel investment casting technique that required the use of laser cutting technology to make a master cast, and candle …

Using The Continuous Wavelet Transform To Characterize Differences Between Impact Signals From Non-Cleated And Cleated Turf Shoes, Wayne Robert Fischer

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The continuous wavelet transform was used to characterize the time-frequency differences between impact forces from non-cleated and cleated turf shoes among male football athletes who perform cut and run activities. This research is significant because it elucidates how athletes experience different impact force and torque frequency content based on the type of shoe they are wearing. The complex Morlet mother wavelet was used to analyze all ground reaction force and vertical ground reaction moment signals to create time-frequency power spectrum plots. For each signal, a statistical confidence interval was calculated and displayed along with the cone of influence caused by …

Effects Of Static Stretching On Foot Velocity During The Instep Soccer Kick, Craig D. Workman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to assess the acute effects of static stretching on foot velocity at impact with a soccer ball. Eighteen Division I female soccer athletes underwent two test conditions separated by 48 hr. Each condition was randomly assigned and began by placing four retro-reflective markers on bony landmarks of the ankle (total of eight markers, four on each ankle). One condition was the no-stretch condition, in which each participant performed a self-paced jog for 5 min as a warm-up, and then sat quietly for 6 min before performing three maximal instep kicks into a net. The …

Modeling The Long Term Effects Of Alendronate On Bone Mass Preservation Of The Femur With Articular Surface And Total Hip Replacements, Trevor J. Hryce

Master's Theses

Calculating femoral bone density changes after hip arthroplasty is of interest to researchers and clinicians for predicting the longevity of the prosthetic implant and the surrounding bone. Recently clinicians have been administering bisphosphonate drugs in an attempt to reduce the bone resorption due to stress shielding caused by these implants. Current strain-adaptive computational models with bisphosphonate treatment don’t predict the long term effects or look at treatment with hip resurfacing implants. The main goal of this study was to create and validate a computer model of the human femur incorporating a bone remodeling algorithm based on biological remodeling processes and …

An Investigation Of Humeral Stress Fractures In Racing Thoroughbreds Using A 3d Finite Element Model In Conjunction With A Bone Remodeling Algorithm, Ryan James Moore

Master's Theses

The humerus of a racing horse Thoroughbred is highly susceptible to stress fractures at a characteristic location as a result of cyclic loading. The propensity of a Thoroughbred to exhibit humeral fracture has made equines useful models in the epidemiology of stress fractures. In this study, a racing Thoroughbred humerus was simulated during training using a 3D finite element model in conjunction with a bone remodeling algorithm. Nine muscle forces and two contact forces were applied to the 3-dimensional finite element model, which contains four separate load cases representing fore-stance, mid-stance, aft-stance, and standing. Four different training programs were incorporated …

Reflections Of College Students Promoting Engineering Through Biomechanical Outreach Activities Indicate Dual Benefits, Kimberly Edginton Bigelow

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Recent work by the National Academy of Engineering revealed that the public has a poor understanding of what engineers actually do on a day-to-day basis. This issue is compounded for non-traditional fields in engineering, such as biomechanical engineering. This is particularly problematic as such fields could draw interest from students not interested in traditional engineering careers, resulting in increased diversity.

To address this, mechanical engineering students taking an elective course, Biomechanical Engineering, were given an outreach assignment to teach at least one individual under the age of 18 about the field of biomechanical engineering through a hands-on activity. Students worked …

Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics Modeling Of Coupled Biochemical Cycles In Living Cells, Yaşar Demirel

Yaşar Demirel Publications

Living cells represent open, nonequilibrium, self organizing, and dissipative systems maintained with the continuous supply of outside and inside material, energy, and information flows. The energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate is utilized in biochemical cycles, transport processes, protein synthesis, reproduction, and performing other biological work. The processes in molecular and cellular biological systems are stochastic in nature with varying spatial and time scales, and bounded with conservation laws, kinetic laws, and thermodynamic constraints, which should be taken into account by any approach for modeling biological systems. In component biology, this review focuses on the modeling of enzyme kinetics …