Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Skeletal Muscle Contraction Simulation: A Comparison In Modeling, Jonathan M. Ford

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Computer generated three-dimensional (3-D) models are being used at increasing rates in the fields of entertainment, education, research, and engineering. One of the aspects of interest includes the behavior and function of the musculoskeletal system. One such tool used by engineers is the finite element method (FEM) to simulate the physics behind muscle mechanics. There are several ways to represent 3-D muscle geometry, namely a bulk, a central line of action and a spline model. The purpose of this study is to exmine how these three representations affect the overall outcome of muscle movement. This is examined in a series …

Towards A More Robust Lower Neck Compressive Injury Tolerance - An Approach Combining Multiple Test Methodologies, Daniel Toomey, King H. Yang, N Yoganadan, F A. Pintar, C A. Van Ee

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research Publications

Objective.The compressive tolerance of the cervical spine has traditionally been reported in terms of axial force at failure. Previous studies suggest that axial compressive force at failure is particularly sensitive to the alignment of the cervical vertebra and the end conditions of the test methodology used. The present study was designed to develop a methodology to combine the data of previous experiments into a diverse dataset utilizing multiple test methods to allow for the evaluation of the robustness of current and proposed eccentricity based injury criteria.

Methods. Data was combined from two studies composed of dynamic experiments including whole …

Evaluation Of Cast Creep Occurring During Simulated Clubfoot Correction, Tamara L. Cohen, Haluk Altiok, Mei Wang, Linda M. Mcgrady, Joseph Krzak, Adam Graf, Sergey Tarima, Peter A. Smith, Gerald F. Harris

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The Ponseti method is a widely accepted and highly successful conservative treatment of pediatric clubfoot involving weekly manipulations and cast applications. Qualitative assessments have indicated the potential success of the technique with cast materials other than standard plaster of Paris. However, guidelines for clubfoot correction based on the mechanical response of these materials have yet to be investigated. The current study sought to characterize and compare the ability of three standard cast materials to maintain the Ponseti-corrected foot position by evaluating cast creep response. A dynamic cast testing device, built to model clubfoot correction, was wrapped in plaster of Paris, …

Computational Biomechanical Modeling Of The Human Knee During Kneeling, Tariq R. Abo-Alhol

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Total knee replacement benefits patients who suffer from severe knee pain or joint stiffness and other joint related illnesses that limit everyday activities. There has been an increase in the number of procedures performed each year and a need to evaluate the performance of these implants during specialized activities such as kneeling. Most computational studies lack insight into inter-patient variability and the results do not apply to large population. This study developed: (1) three-dimensional explicit finite element (FE) models to investigate natural and implanted knee joint kinematics and bone strain and (2) a platform to enable population-based evaluation by combining …

Interleukin Expression After Injury And The Effects Of Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist, Connie S. Chamberlain, Ellen M. Leiferman, Kayt E. Frisch, Stacey L. Brickson, William L. Murphy, Geoffrey S. Baer, Ray Vanderby

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Ligament healing follows a series of complex coordinated events involving various cell types, cytokines, as well as other factors, producing a mechanically inferior tissue more scar-like than native tissue. Macrophages provide an ongoing source of cytokines to modulate inflammatory cell adhesion and migration as well as fibroblast proliferation. Studying interleukins inherent to ligament healing during peak macrophage activation and angiogenesis may elucidate inflammatory mediators involved in subsequent scar formation. Herein, we used a rat healing model assayed after surgical transection of their medial collateral ligaments (MCLs). On days 3 and 7 post-injury, ligaments were collected and used for microarray analysis. …

The Design And Validation Of A Computational Model Of The Human Wrist Joint, Afsarul Mir

Theses and Dissertations

Advancements in computational capabilities have allowed researchers to turn towards modeling as an efficient tool to replicate and predict outcomes of complex systems. Computational models of the musculoskeletal system have gone through various iterations with early versions employing dramatic simplifications. In this work, a three-dimensional computational model of the wrist joint was developed. It accurately recreated the skeletal structures of the hand and wrist and represented the constraints imposed by soft tissue structures like ligaments, tendons, and other surrounding tissues. It was developed to function as a tool to investigate the biomechanical contributions of structures and the kinematic response of …

Correlations Between Internal And External Power Outputs During Weightlifting Exercise, Kristof Kipp, Chad Harris, Michelle B. Sabick

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Identifying loads that maximize mechanical power is important because training at such loads may optimize gains in dynamic athletic performance. The purpose of this study was to examine correlations between measures of external mechanical power output and internal mechanical joint power output across different loads during a weightlifting exercise. Ten subjects performed 3 sets of the clean exercise at 65, 75, and 85% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM). Peak external mechanical power output was calculated with 4 commonly used methods, whereas an inverse dynamics approach was used to calculate peak internal mechanical power output for the hip, knee, and ankle …

A Robotic Neuro-Musculoskeletal Simulator For Spine Research, Robb W. Colbrunn

ETD Archive

An influential conceptual framework advanced by Panjabi represents the living spine as a complex neuromusculoskeletal system whose biomechanical functioning is rather finely dependent upon the interactions among and between three principal subsystems: the passive musculoskeletal subsystem (osteoligamentous spine plus passive mechanical contributions of the muscles), the active musculoskeletal subsystem (muscles and tendons), and the neural and feedback subsystem (neural control centers and feedback elements such as mechanoreceptors located in the soft tissues) [1]. The interplay between subsystems readily encourages "thought experiments" of how pathologic changes in one subsystem might influence another--for example, prompting one to speculate how painful arthritic changes …

Cervical Spine Tolerance And Response In Compressive Loading Modes Including Combined Compression And Lateral Bending, Daniel Toomey

Wayne State University Dissertations

Injuries in motor vehicle accidents continue to be a serious and costly societal problem. Automotive safety researchers have observed noticeable lateral bending of the anthropomorphic test device (ATD) neck prior to or in conjunction with head impact with the vehicle roof in rollover crash tests. Since there is scant data available about the effects of lateral bending on overall compressive tolerance of the human cervical spine, it is unknown if the presence of lateral bending is important to consider during impacts with the apex of the head. Compressive injury tolerance has historically been reported by identifying the axial force at …

Biomechanics Of Porcine Renal Artery And The Development Of A Replacment Vessel, Mohamed Gabr

Theses and Dissertations

Mechanical characterization of biological soft tissues is essential in the field of biomedical engineering. In this study several loading experiments have been performed to efficiently characterize the passive mechanical response of both native porcine renal arteries and newly developed tissue constructs. The first aim of these studies is to determine whether there is a difference in mechanical response between the main renal artery and its first branch. After fitting the bi-axial data to a Holzapfel-type constitutive model, the results show that there is no statistical difference between the model parameters for renal artery and the first branch. The only significant …

Effect Of Rolling On Viscoelastic Fluids Using A Novel Testing Device, Aswini Mangadu

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this research thesis project was to develop a mechanical testing device that could enable us to load articular cartilage with a rolling/sliding motion. This novel device was then used to observe the effect of a rolling motion on the fluid film thickness of different lubricants (motor oil, synovial fluid and Hyaluronic Acid (HA)) to varying loads (1kg, 2,kg, 3kg and 4kg) and speeds (10, 25, 48 and 91 mm/s) applied on the sample fluids for 10 cycles. We were able to examine the effect of different speeds within each load for each of the fluid that was …

Load-Relaxation Properties Of The Human Trunk In Response To Prolonged Flexion: Measuring And Modeling The Effect Of Flexion Angle, Nima Toosizadeh, Maury A. Nussbaum, Babak Bazrgari, Michael L. Madigan

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Experimental studies suggest that prolonged trunk flexion reduces passive support of the spine. To understand alterations of the synergy between active and passive tissues following such loadings, several studies have assessed the time-dependent behavior of passive tissues including those within spinal motion segments and muscles. Yet, there remain limitations regarding load-relaxation of the lumbar spine in response to flexion exposures and the influence of different flexion angles. Ten healthy participants were exposed for 16 min to each of five magnitudes of lumbar flexion specified relative to individual flexion-relaxation angles (i.e., 30, 40, 60, 80, and 100%), during which lumbar flexion …

Creep Evaluation Of (Orthotic) Cast Materials During Simulated Clubfoot Correction, T. L. Cohen, H. Altiok, Sergey Tarima, P. A. Smith, Gerald F. Harris

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The Ponseti method is a widely accepted and highly successful conservative treatment of pediatric clubfoot that relies on weekly manipulations and cast applications. However, the material behavior of the cast in the Ponseti technique has not been investigated. The current study sought to characterize the ability of two standard casting materials to maintain the Ponseti corrected foot position by evaluating creep response. A dynamic cast testing device (DCTD) was built to simulate a typical pediatric clubfoot. Semi-rigid fiberglass and rigid fiberglass casting materials were applied to the device, and the rotational creep was measured at various constant torques. The movement …

Weightlifting Performance Is Related To Kinematic And Kinetic Patterns Of The Hip And Knee Joints, Kristof Kipp, Josh Redden, Michelle B. Sabick, Chad Harris

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this study was to investigate correlations between biomechanical outcome measures and weightlifting performance. Joint kinematics and kinetics of the hip, knee, and ankle were calculated while ten subjects performed a clean at 85% of 1-RM. Kinematic and kinetic time-series patterns were extracted with principal components analysis. Discrete scores for each time-series pattern were calculated and used to determine how each pattern was related to body-mass normalized 1-RM. Two hip kinematic and two knee kinetic patterns were significantly correlated with relative 1-RM. The kinematic patterns captured hip and trunk motions during the first pull and hip joint motion …

Bioengineering Approach To Understanding Tmj Pathobiology, Jonathan Kuo

All Dissertations

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a load-bearing joint consisting of the condyle of the mandibular bone, the fossa eminence of the temporal bone, and a fibrocartilaginous disc held in between the bone surfaces by ligaments. The TMJ disc serves to distribute stress, lubricate movement, and protect the articular surfaces of the joint. Over ten million Americans suffer from TMJ disorders (TMD) that affect the movement and function of the joint, making everyday tasks like talking and eating difficult and painful. A wide variety of treatments and surgeries have been proposed and undertaken with limited success based on the varying degree …

Evaluation Of Transfer Technologies To Preserve Shoulder Function In Sci, Karen Michelle Mann

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated a series of independent unassisted and device-assisted transfers from a wheelchair to vehicle mock-up and vice versa while simultaneously capturing kinematic, kinetic and electromyographic (EMG) data of impaired volunteers. The study provides a venue for observation and evaluation of upper extremity (UE) joint stresses, muscular force and functional demands associated with transfers in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) to ultimately prevent UE injury, minimize excessive stress, preserve functionality and limit pain. If people with SCI lose function of their UEs, due to pain and/or degeneration, they must then rely on others for everyday tasks.

Five paraplegic …

In Vitro Biomechanical Testing And Computational: Modeling In Spine, Mageswaran Prasath

ETD Archive

Two separate in vitro biomechanical studies were conducted on human cadaveric spines (Lumbar) to evaluate the stability following the implantation of two different spinal fixation devices interspinous fixation device (ISD) and Hybrid dynamic stabilizers. ISD was evaluated as a stand-alone and in combination with unilateral pedicle rod system. The results were compared against the gold standard, spinal fusion (bilateral pedicle rod system). The second study involving the hybrid dynamic system, evaluated the effect on adjacent levels using a hybrid testing protocol. A robotic spine testing system was used to conduct the biomechanical tests. This system has the ability to apply …

Optimization Of Wsu Total Ankle Replacement Systems, Bradley Jay Elliott

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Total ankle arthroplasty (TAR) is performed in order to reduce the pain and loss of ambulation in patients with various forms of arthritis and trauma. Although replacement devices fail by a number of mechanisms, wear in the polyethylene liner constitutes one of the dominating failure modes. This leads to instability and loosening of the implant. Mechanisms that contribute to wear in the liners are high contact and subsurface stresses that break down the material over time. Therefore, it is important to understand the gait that generates these stresses. Methods to characterize and decrease wear in Ohio TARs have been performed …

Motion Analysis Of The Upper Extremities During Lofstrand Crutch-Assisted Gait In Children With Orthopaedic Disabilities, Brooke A. Slavens, Neha Bhagchandani, Mei Wang, Peter A. Smith, Gerald F. Harris

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background

This paper presents a review of current state-of-the-art dynamic systems for quantifying the kinematics and kinetics of the joints of the upper extremities during Lofstrand crutch-assisted gait. The reviewed systems focus on the rehabilitation of children and adults with myelomeningocele (MM), cerebral palsy (CP), spinal cord injury (SCI), and osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Forearm crutch systems have evolved from models with single- to multi-sensor hardware systems that can incorporate an increasing number of segments that are in compliance with the standards of the International Society of Biomechanics (ISB).

Methods

The initial system developed by our group was a single, six-axis, …

Automation Of Orthodontic Wire Tester For Performing Three Point Bending Tests, Adithya Venkatesan

Master's Theses

Abstract

Understanding the biomechanical factors in orthodontics is important in order to improve the overall effectiveness of actual clinical treatment. An accurate method to study the threedimensional (3D) force systems and the resulting movements of teeth during orthodontic treatment is needed along with the understanding of the material properties of any orthodontic wire. Until recently, most of the orthodontic biomechanics literature was limited to twodimensional experimental studies. Recent advances in threedimensional computer modeling have also been developed but have been limited to the manual control of tooth movement. Overall, there is very little published evidence in the literature on the …

Development Of An Experimental Model To Quantify Lumbar Spine Kinematics During Military Seat Ejection, Steven George Storvik

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The initial phase of a military ejection sequence exerts substantial axial loads on the spinal column. Eccentric inertial loading on the thoracolumbar spine can lead to injury. Most serious injuries due to ejection are in the form of a vertebral fracture, most commonly occurring at the thoracolumbar junction. The objective of the current study was to understand characteristics of a military seat ejection by employing an experimental model designed to simulate the boost or in-rail phase. The model incorporates realistic boundary conditions and is capable of quantifying metrics associated with injury tolerance such as applied accelerations and resultant loads and …

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 …

Noninvasive Assessment Of Joint Motion Over Long Durations: System Evaluation And Data Analysis Methods, Maria J. Qadri

Master's Theses

The development, progression, and treatment of degenerative musculoskeletal diseases, such as carpal tunnel and shoulder impingement syndromes, may be better characterized when joint motions are assessed over long durations outside clinical, laboratory, or rehabilitation settings that involve standardized assessment, exercise protocols, and/or regimented movements. Assessment methods for human movement capture beyond laboratory or clinical experiments are typically limited to short capture times of less than one hour. Noninvasive, long-duration measurements of joint motion in occupational settings provides more insight into movement patterns and quantitative assessments regarding joint usage, which lead to a better understanding of the cumulative effects associated with …

Cervical Spine Biomechanical Behavior And Injury, Mbulelo T. Makola

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

A finite element model of the cervical spine including the C2 through C7 levels was developed in order to study the behavior of the cervical spine region. The model was validated in flexion extension, bending, and rotational load scenarios. The model was found to represent the biomechanical behavior of the cervical spine. The validated cervical spine finite element model was used to study spinal injury and disease processes. The model provided qualitative estimates of load carrying and stress distribution as well as range of motion.

Development Of An Approach To Increase Drug Uptake To Bone Tumors Using Non-Invasive Mechanical Loading, Paolo E. Palacio

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis develops an approach to enhance drug delivery to bone tumors by implementing a non-invasive mechanical loading technique. An imaging protocol that characterizes the load-enhanced drug uptake is also presented. The long-term goal of this work is to develop a clinical protocol that enhances the delivery of therapeutic agents to bone tumors by utilizing load-bearing activity. This easy-to-implement approach could help increase drug uptake into the tumor interstitial fluid space as well as into tumor cells, thereby enhancing a drug's clinical effect while decreasing systemic drug dosage and unwanted side effects. This thesis details the process used to grow …

Detrimental Thoracoabdominal Interaction With Lateral Airbag Restraints, Jason John Hallman

Dissertations (1934 -)

Side impact motor vehicle crashes pose unique challenges for occupant protection, particularly with regard to torso injury mitigation. The minimal crush distance between the vehicle exterior and the occupant torso has necessitated advanced passive safety technologies in response to tightened regulatory requirements and increased public awareness of safety issues. In particular, lateral airbag restraints (side airbags) have undergone a rapid and unregulated introduction in recent years, with US availability increasing to over 90% of new vehicles in 2010. As with frontal airbag restraints, the prdissertationsity for injury to occupants in close proximity to side airbag deployment remains a concern. Test …

Locked Plate Fixation Of Osteoporotic Humeral Shaft Fractures: Are Two Locking Screws Per Segment Enough?, David J. Hak, Peter Althausen, S J. Hazelwood

Biomedical Engineering

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the biomechanical behavior of using two versus three locking screws per bone segment in a cadaveric humerus fracture gap model.

Methods: Six matched pairs of elderly osteoporotic fresh–frozen human cadaveric humerii were used. An eight-hole locking compression plate was placed posteriorly on the humeral shaft and secured with either four or six bicortical locking screws. A 5-mm middiaphyseal gap osteotomy was created to simulate a comminuted fracture without bony contact. Specimens were tested in offset axial compression, four-point anteroposterior bending, four-point medial– lateral bending, and torsion. After the initial testing in …

A Real-Time, 3-D Musculoskeletal Model For Dynamic Simulation Of Arm Movements, Edward K. Chadwick, Dimitra Blana, Antonie J. Van Den Bogert, Robert F. Kirsch

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Neuroprostheses can be used to restore movement of the upper limb in individuals with high-level spinal cord injury. Development and evaluation of command and control schemes for such devices typically require real-time, ldquopatient-in-the-looprdquo experimentation. A real-time, 3-D, musculoskeletal model of the upper limb has been developed for use in a simulation environment to allow such testing to be carried out noninvasively. The model provides real-time feedback of human arm dynamics that can be displayed to the user in a virtual reality environment. The model has a 3-DOF glenohumeral joint as well as elbow flexion/extension and pronation/supination and contains 22 muscles …

Subject Specific Computational Models Of The Knee To Predict Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury, Bhushan S. Borotikar

ETD Archive

Knee joint is a complex joint involving multiple interactions between cartilage, bone, muscles, ligaments, tendons and neural control. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is one ligament in the knee joint that frequently gets injured during various sports or recreational activities. ACL injuries are common in college level and professional athletes especially in females and the injury rate is growing in epidemic proportions despite significant increase in the research focusing on neuromuscular and proprioceptive training programs. Most ACL injuries lead to surgical reconstruction followed by a lengthy rehabilitation program impacting the health and performance of the athlete. Furthermore, the athlete is still …

Biomechanical Evaluation Of Two Methods Of Humeral Shaft Fixation, Joshua Catanzarite

All Theses

Biomechanical evaluations of fracture fixation devices attempt to determine implant performance by approximating the in vivo conditions. This performance is affected by many factors and relies on the complex bone-implant interface. Biomechanical tests can be designed in a variety of ways in order to evaluate device performance with respect to any number of these bone-implant interactions. Standardized tests, designed by groups such as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), are often designed either to determine the performance of a specific type of fixation device or for direct comparison between different devices. Additionally, many biomechanical evaluations are designed for …