Biomechanics and Biotransport Commons^™

Multidimensional Determinants Of Gait, Balance, And Softball Performance In Female Youth: Biomechanics, Resource Access, And Psychosocial Factors, Allie G. Mcauliffe

Master's Theses

Movement quality is a fundamental indicator of healthy childhood development and supports physical, emotional, psychosocial, and cognitive well-being. Movement quality is influenced by multiple biomechanical, environmental, and psychosocial factors, yet the relationships among them remain poorly understood in underrepresented populations such as female youth, particularly in softball. Previous studies have largely examined biomechanics, resource access, and psychosocial experience independently, and few have investigated how these factors interact in female youth softball players. To address this gap, this study compared gait and balance characteristics between softball (N = 34) and non-softball (N = 7) female youth, examined associations between resource access, …

The Effects Of Carbon-Fiber Plates And Peba-Based Midsole Foam In Running Shoes On Lower-Limb Joint Kinetics And Kinematics In Recreational Female Runners, Jordan M. Allen

Master's Theses

The recent increase in long-distance running participation and the rapid advancement in footwear technology have created a need for research on injury prevention in this growing population of recreational runners. When “super shoes” were first introduced to the running scene, they caught the attention of runners worldwide with the rapid improvement in marathon performance [1]. Today, every major running brand offers its own version of a super shoe, each incorporating a carbon-fiber plate and PEBA-based midsole foam. While previous studies have shown the performance benefits of these shoes, a gap remains in the literature regarding how they impact knee, hip, …

Measurements Of Spinal Posture During Common Strawberry Picking Positions Using Inertial Measurement Units, Madeline E. Everson

Master's Theses

Physically demanding professions, such as agriculture, put people at an increased

risk for experiencing back pain. This is due to the awkward and harmful postures sustained

throughout their workday. While studies have been done demonstrating that back pain is

prevalent amongst this community, most do not collect motion capture (MoCap) data,

leaving the specifics of the kinematics, such as the amount of time spent in harmful

postures, unknown. Unfortunately, MoCap data is typically limited to that of a lab or

facility where the cameras are housed. Therefore, this study aimed to mitigate the

inaccessibility of traditional MoCap by validating that …

Effect Of Foot Strike Pattern On Joint Kinetics On A Downhill Slope, Evan Manley

Master's Theses

With recent increases in participation in outdoor running events, there is a need for research in downhill gait biomechanics. One change that could impact joint loading is foot strike pattern. Foot strike patterns have been categorized into rearfoot-strike (RFS), midfoot-strike (MFS), and forefoot-strike (FFS) [1]. While 75-99% of distance runners naturally RFS on level surfaces, they tend to move towards FFS when it is necessary to reduce vertical loading conditions at the knee [1]. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in peak vertical knee and ankle forces, knee moment, and ankle power, as well as cumulative force …

Opensim Analysis Of The Aymara Indigenous People Performing Ancestral Tasks: Exploring Trends Of Muscle Activity With Tiwanaku Skeletal Indicators, Noah M. Taylor

Master's Theses

The Tiwanaku civilization (AD 500-1100) of the Andean highlands exhibited occupational specialization in communities, with archeological evidence suggesting the existence of labor- and residential-communities, or “taskscapes”, based on an individual’s livelihood. Prior bioarcheological studies have examined Tiwanaku skeletal remains for musculoskeletal stress markers, osteoarthritis, and cross-sectional geometry to infer activity patterns. Their descendants, the Aymara Indigenous people, currently live in the same highlands and until recently lived a lifestyle like their ancestors. Over the past 20 years, the global quinoa demand has risen, thrusting the Aymara into globalization and moving them away from the traditional tasks previously performed. This study …

Measuring Gait Of Total Knee Arthroplasty Patients Pre-Op And Post-Op Using A Smartphone, Celeste A. Thai

Master's Theses

Motion capture technology is a tool often used in orthopedic applications, including measuring gait dysfunctions. However, gait analysis research focused on total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients is limited, especially using motion capture systems. This may be due to a multitude of factors, such as inaccessibility to gait labs to the general public, difficulty of travel post-surgery, and overall costs of care and maintenance of motion lab equipment. New emerging novel methods use wearable devices such as smartphones and inertial measurement devices (IMUs) to perform gait assessment and are becoming favorable due to their increasingly ubiquitous nature. One such method using …

Engineering An Injectable Hydrogel With Self-Assembling 3d Vasculature, Kendyl Cohn

Master's Theses

This research developed methods for culturing self-assembling capillaries in an injectable gel as a potential method for vascularizing tissue-on-a-chip models to mimic physiological drug delivery. Additionally, a mathematical model was developed as a tool for understanding nutrient delivery and comparison of potential delivery systems. Organs-on-a-chip provide novel platforms for studying biology and physiology in 3D, allow exploration of tissue engineering on a manageable scale, and serve as models for drug screening and drug-delivery testing.

Methods were first developed for co-culture of endothelial cells and fibroblasts (3T3s or HDFs) in 2D, evaluating culture time, seeding density and ratio of HUVECs and …

Subject-Specific Human Knee Fea Models For Transtibial Amputees Vs Control Tibial Cartilage Pressure In Gait, Cycling And Elliptical Training, Ali Yazdkhasti

Master's Theses

Millions of individuals around the globe are impacted by osteoarthritis, which is the prevailing type of arthritis. This condition arises as a result of gradual deterioration of the protective cartilage that safeguards the ends of the bones. This is especially true of transtibial amputees, who have a significantly higher incidence of osteoarthritis of the knee in their intact limb than non-amputees. Engaging in regular physical activity, managing weight effectively, and undergoing specific treatments can potentially slow down the advancement of the disease and enhance pain relief and joint function. Nevertheless, the relationship between the type of exercise and its impact …

A Proof Of Concept For Detection Of Palato-Lingual Contact Without Intraoral Electrodes In A Human Participant, Amitava Biswas

Master's Theses

The author of this thesis conceived and investigated an unexpected electrical signal that may not be noticed during regular electroglottography (EGG) when electrodes are conventionally placed on the anterior surface of the throat. It appears that there is a measurable electrical signal from the EGG equipment when electrodes are placed over the frontal cheek (belly of zygomatic muscle), and the tongue is elevated to contact the hard palate, or the tongue is lowered to break the contact. Therefore, this phenomenon is designated as unconventional electroglottography (UEGG, Dr. Steven Cloud, private communication, July 17, 2022).

Two distinctive patterns of waveforms were …

Acl Risk Data Comparison And Turnout Analysis Of Female Dancers Trained In Ballet And Female Traditional Jumping Sport Athletes, Samantha A. Campbell

Master's Theses

INTRODUCTION: An increase in participation in females sports has created an increase of female athletes at risk for injuring their Anterior Cruciate Ligament(ACL)[12,21,29,44]. Traditional jumping sports have the highest rate of non contact ACL injuries, due to the use of movements of cutting, pivoting and landing on one foot[5,8,32,33,38]. ACL injuries can also be attributed to neuromuscular deficits such as the ‘Ligament Dominance Theory’, ‘Quadricep Dominance Theory’, ‘Trunk Dominance Theory’ and the ‘Leg Dominance Theory’[24,33]. The neuromuscular deficits are muscle strength, power or activation patterns that can cause an individual to have an increased risk of ACL injury[33]. Female traditional …

Youth Pitching Kinematics: Associations With Body Overweight Parameters, Christina K. Fong

Master's Theses

The objective of this study was to investigate associations between injury-related kinematic parameters and overweight measures for youth baseball pitchers. The injury-related kinematic parameters considered were measurements 1) at foot contact: stride length, front foot position, shoulder external rotation, shoulder abduction, and elbow flexion; 2) between FC and ball release: peak knee extension; and 3) at BR: shoulder abduction. Data from three separate collection sites examined pitching mechanics of 18 10- to 11-year-old pitchers, 11 14- to 16-year-old pitchers, and 104 16- to 18-year-old pitchers Linear regression analyses were performed to determine significant correlations between kinematic parameters and body mass …

Subclinical Atherosclerosis Quantified Through Cumulative Shear Measurement, Margaret Lynne Papka

Master's Theses

With the high mortality rate of cardiovascular disease, it is important to study the early signs. The early detection of cardiovascular disease can lead to saved lives. Currently the most prevalent detection methods are the Framingham Risk Score and the carotid intima media thickness, both of which are insufficient. The necessary tool for early detection requires a uniform quantification system. The stimulus leading to endothelial dysfunction, the most significant predictor of a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE)—and subsequently subclinical atherosclerosis—is reduced shear stress. Increased surface relative roughness affects the flow profile transition from laminar to turbulent resulting in reduced shear …

Smartphone-Tape Method For Calculating Body Segment Inertial Parameters For Analysis Of Pitching Arm Kinetics, Jay Sterner

Master's Theses

The objectives of this study were to (1) develop a non-invasive method (referred to as Smart Photo-Tape) to calculate participant-specific upper arm, forearm, and hand segment inertial properties (SIPs) (e.g. mass, center of mass, and radii of gyration) and (2) use those Smart Photo-Tape properties in inverse dynamics (ID) analyses to calculate injury-related pitching arm kinetics. Five 20- to 23- year-old baseball pitchers were photographed holding a baseball and analyzed using the Smart Photo-Tape method to obtain 3-D inertial properties for their upper arm, forearm, and hand. The upper arm and forearm segments were modelled as stacked elliptic cylinders and …

Design Of Prototype Prosthesis For A Canine With A Right Front Limb Deformity As An Alternate Approach To Stabilize Gait And Withstand Gait Forces, Tayler R. Kastlunger

Master's Theses

Congenital and developmental limb deformities in canines are rare and can occur as a genetic disorder or be caused by extrinsic factors. Without surgery to correct the deformity, conservative management can be implemented to manage exercise and restrict high-intensity activity of the canine. However, any alteration to the normal gait and locomotive biomechanics of a canine can have significant long-term effects on the musculoskeletal health and quality of life of the canine. To improve quality of life and provide an alternative and more cost-effective approach to surgery, a custom prosthetic was designed and developed for a canine born with a …

Subject-Specific Finite Element Models Of The Human Knee For Transtibial Amputees To Analyze Tibial Cartilage Pressure For Gait, Cycling, And Elliptical Training, Jonathon Stearns

Master's Theses

It is estimated that approximately 10-12% of the adult population suffers from osteoarthritis (OA), with long reaching burdens personally and socioeconomically. OA also causes mild discomfort to severe pain in those suffering from the disease. The incidence rate of OA for individuals with transtibial amputations is much than average in the tibiofemoral joint (TF). It is well understood that abnormal articular cartilage stress, whether that be magnitude or location, increases the risk of developing OA. Finite element (FE) simulations can predict stress in the TF joint, many studies throughout the years have validated the technology used for this purpose. This …

Skier's Edge: Biomechanical Analysis, Benjamin T. Johannes

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Skier’s Edge: Biomechanical Analysis

Benjamin T. Johannes

The Skier’s Edge trainer can be used by novice or expert skiers. Testing was performed to analyze if the use of the Skier’s Edge could reduce in shear forces of the valgus moment on the knee joint and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) due to lesser fatigue of muscle and a higher hamstring to quadricep (H/Q) ratio activity. This leads to a reduction of improper form and an increase in balance. Experiments performed observed the change in muscle activity with the use of the Skier’s Edge over time when compared to other forms …

Transmission Probability Of Embolic Debris Through The Aortic Arch And Daughter Vessels During A Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Procedure, Jessica Lena Wirth

Master's Theses

Cerebral ischemia leading to an ischemic stroke is a possible complication of a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure. This is because embolic debris can become dislodged and travel through the aortic arch, where they either continue to the descending aorta and join the systemic circulation or travel into the cerebral vasculature through the three daughter vessels that branch off the top of the aortic arch. These three vessels are the brachiocephalic artery, the left subclavian artery, and the left common carotid artery. These three vessels lead either directly or indirectly to the cerebral vasculature, where the diameter of vessels …

Hip And Knee Biomechanics For Transtibial Amputees In Gait, Cycling, And Elliptical Training, Greg Orekhov

Master's Theses

Transtibial amputees are at increased risk of contralateral hip and knee joint osteoarthritis, likely due to abnormal biomechanics. Biomechanical challenges exist for transtibial amputees in gait and cycling; particularly, asymmetry in ground/pedal reaction forces and joint kinetics is well documented and state-of-the-art passive and powered prostheses do not fully restore natural biomechanics. Elliptical training has not been studied as a potential exercise for rehabilitation, nor have any studies been published that compare joint kinematics and kinetics and ground/pedal reaction forces for the same group of transtibial amputees in gait, cycling, and elliptical training. The hypothesis was that hip and knee …

Microfluidic Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy, John J. Foley

Master's Theses

The goal of this study is to design and manufacture a microfluidic device capable of measuring changes in impedance valuesof microfluidic cell cultures. Tocharacterize this, an interdigitated array of electrodes was patterned over glass, where it was then bonded to a series of fluidic networks created in PDMS via soft lithography. The device measured ethanol impedance initially to show that values remain consistent over time. Impedance values of water and 1% wt. saltwater were compared to show that the device is able to detect changes in impedance, with up to a 60% reduction in electrical impedance in saltwater. Cells were …

Inverse Dynamic Analysis Of Acl Reconstructed Knee Joint Biomechanics During Gait And Cycling Using Opensim, Megan V. Pottinger

Master's Theses

ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries of the knee joint alter biomechanics and may cause abnormal loading conditions that place patients at a higher risk of developing osteoarthritis (OA). There are multiple types of ACL reconstruction (ACLR), but all types aim to restore anterior tibial translation and internal tibial rotation following surgery. Analyzing knee joint contact loads provide insight into the loading conditions following ACLR that may contribute to the long-term development of OA. Ten ACLR subjects, who underwent the same reconstruction, performed gait and cycling experiments while kinematic and kinetic data were collected. Inverse dynamic analyses were performed on processed …

Detection Method Of Subclinical Atherosclerosis Of The Carotid Artery With A Hemodynamics Modeling Approach, Marisa Peressini

Master's Theses

Subclinical atherosclerosis is an important area of research to evaluate stroke risk and predict localization of plaque. The current methods for detecting atherosclerosis risk are insufficient because it is based on The Framingham Risk Score and carotid intima media thickness, therefore an engineering detection model based on quantifiable data is needed. Laminar and turbulent flow, dictated by Reynolds number and relative roughness, was modeled through the carotid artery bifurcation to compare shear stress and shear rate. Computer-aided design and fluid flow software were used to model hemodynamics through the carotid artery. Data from the model was derived from governing equations …

Characterization Of Arterial Flow For Junctional Bleeding Control, Nick Bosio

Master's Theses

This study investigated reducing volumetric flowrate under steady flow conditions by varying lengths of compression with constant cross-sectional area and varying cross-sectional area reduction with constant length in order to better understand how to control junctional hemorrhaging. The hypotheses of this study were that length reduction will have little effect on volumetric flowrate and that cross-sectional area reduction would need to be approximately 80 percent in order to obtain bleeding control. The study found that length reduction has little effect on changing the flowrate. However, in order to obtain at least 80 percent reduction in flow, the area needs to …

Fluid Flow Characterization And In Silico Validation In A Rapid Prototyped Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Model, Dean Thomas Wampler

Master's Theses

Aortic aneurysms are the 14^th leading cause of death in the United States. Annually, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) ruptures are responsible for 4500 deaths. There are another 45,000 repair procedures performed to prevent rupture, and of these approximately 1400 lead to deaths. With proper detection, the aneurysm may be treated using endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Understanding how the flow of the blood within the artery is affected by the aneurysm is important in determining the growth of the aneurysm, as well as how to properly treat the aneurysm. The goal of this project was to develop a physical construct …

Functional 3-D Cellulose And Nitrocellulose Paper-Based, Microfluidic Device Utilizing Elisa Technology For The Detection/Distinction Between Hemorrhagic And Ischemic Strokes, Alicia Leanne Holler

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis project is to demonstrate and evaluate an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on a paper microfluidic device platform. The integration of ELISA technology onto paper microfluidic chips allows for a quantitative detection of stroke biomarkers, such as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Dye experiments were performed to confirm fluid connectivity throughout the 3D chips. Several chip and housing designs were fabricated to determine an optimal design for the microfluidic device. Once this design was finalized, development time testing was performed. The results confirmed that the paper microfluidic device could successfully route fluid throughout its channels at …

Fluid Flow Characterization And In Silico Validation In A Rapid Prototyped Aortic Arch Model, Alexandra Mariel Knauer

Master's Theses

Transcatheter aortic heart valve replacement (TAVR) is a procedure to replace a failing aortic valve and is becoming the new standard of care for patients that are not candidates for open-heart surgery [2]. However, this minimally invasive technique has shown to cause ischemic brain lesions, or “silent infarcts”, in 90% of TAVR patients, which can increase the patient’s risk for stroke by two to four times in future years [3]. Claret Medical Inc., a medical device company, has developed a cerebral protection system that filters and captures embolic debris released during endovascular procedures, such as TAVR. This thesis utilized CT …

The Effects Of Obesity On Resultant Knee Joint Loads For Gait And Cycling, Juan Gutierrez-Franco

Master's Theses

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease of cartilage and bone tissue and the most common form of arthritis, accounting for US$ 10.5 billion in hospital charges in 2006. Obesity (OB) has been linked to increased risk of developing knee OA due to increased knee joint loads and varus-valgus misalignment. Walking is recommended as a weight-loss activity but it may increase risk of knee OA as OB gait increases knee loads. Cycling has been proposed as an alternative weight-loss measure, however, lack of studies comparing normal weight (NW) and OB subjects in cycling and gait hinder identification of exercises that may …

Fluid Flow Characterization In Rapid Prototyped Common Iliac Artery Aneurysm Molds, Daniel Cole Greinke

Master's Theses

The goal of this project was to determine whether i) fused deposition modeling could be employed to manufacture molds for vascular constructs, ii) whether vascular constructs could be created from these molds, and iii) to verify practical equivalence between observed fluid velocities. Dye tracking was to be employed to characterize fluid velocity profiles through the in vitro vascular constructs, including a half-vessel model and a full vessel model of an iliac artery aneurysm. A PDMS half-vessel construct was manufactured, and the movement of dye through the construct was tracked by a cellphone camera. Thresholds were applied to each video in …

Modeling Viscoelastic Behavior In Compact Bone Through A Distribution Of Collagen D-Spacing: A Finite Element Analysis, Christopher Ha

Master's Theses

Osteoporosis affects nearly 54 million people in the United States. The cost associated with treatment is estimated to be $19 billion per year and is expected to grow yearly. D-spacing is the staggering of collagen molecules found at the nanoscopic level. Previously thought to have a constant value, recent studies have found that D-spacing has a distribution of values throughout the tissue. As part of an ongoing effort in understanding the mechanisms that are affected by osteoporosis, a finite element model was developed to explore the effects of D-spacing distribution on the viscoelastic material properties of bone tissue. The goal …

Characterization Of Electrophorectic Separations On A Cellulose Paper-Microfluidic Chip, Kyle Robert Fast

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis project is to demonstrate the ability to utilize electrophoresis in a cellulose paper microfluidic chip to manipulate charged particles. Materials were selected and a manufacturing protocol was created to successfully apply the electric field onto the paper chip. Experiments were performed to characterize the separation rates for charged, colorimetric dye, Orange G in the membrane as a function of an applied electric field, dye concentration, and distance traveled. The experiments confirmed that the electric field can be applied to the chip and particle separation rates were characterized. Next, the determined rates results were used to …

Development And Validation Of A Tibiofemoral Joint Finite Element Model And Subsequent Gait Analysis Of Intact Acl And Acl Deficient Individuals, Nicholas Czapla

Master's Theses

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative condition of articular cartilage that affects more than 25 million people in the US. Joint injuries, like anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, can lead to OA due to a change in articular cartilage loading. Gait analysis combined with knee joint finite element modeling (FEM) has been used to predict the articular cartilage loading. To predict the change of articular cartilage loading during gait due to various ACL injuries, a tibiofemoral FEM was developed from magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of a 33 year male, with no prior history of knee injuries. The FEM was validated for …