Engineering Commons^™

Computational Investigation Of The Biomechanics Of Babywearing In Regards To Developmental Dysplasia Of The Hip, Gaurav Girish

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) is a congenital condition where an infant’s hip socket is either loose or otherwise unstable. DDH causes a joint instability where the femoral head is not properly situated inside the acetabulum. Etiology of the condition is in part congenital and developmental, with a difference of DDH prevalence between ethnicities. Incidence of DDH is also in some part dependent on cultural practices and activities of the mother and child. The exact nature of this cultural incidence is not clearly understood. A computational approach is hypothesized to identify the impact of babywearing position on the healthy …

Biomechanical Testing Of An Exercise For Strengthening The Proximal Femur., Alyssa Osbourne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Based on the principles of cutting edge bone remodeling research, a unique therapeutic exercise device was designed specifically to improve bone quality at the most critical location of the proximal femur prone to fracture: the superior-lateral femoral neck where the fracture first initiates during a fall. The exercise/device is intended to work by inducing enough strain in the bone to stimulate the body’s natural bone remodeling mechanisms to increase bone density in the proximal femur and consequently prevent a fracture from arising if a fall to the side does occur.

In order to test the proposed exercise, experiments simulating the …

The Effect Of Twist On The Mechanical Properties Of The Intervertebral Disc, Maxine Harvey-Burgess

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Introduction: Intervertebral disc (IVD) herniation is a common injury to the IVD and a frequent source of low back pain. IVD herniation occurs when the nucleus pulposus migrates through both the inter- and intralamellar matrices of the annulus fibrosus (AF). There are a number of mechanical risk factors associated with herniation, including repetitive flexion and twist. In vivo, twist combined with repetitive flexion has been associated with increased experience of low back pain and herniation. Additionally, in vitro, when repetitive flexion is combined with twist, IVD herniation occurs more easily than repetitive flexion alone. However, the mechanisms behind …