Biomechanics and Biotransport Commons^™

Development And Validation Of A Subject-Specific Integrated Finite Element Musculoskeletal Model Of Human Trunk With Ergonomic And Clinical Applications, Farshid Ghezelbash, Amir Hossein Eskandari, Amir Jafari Bidhendi, Aboulfazl Shirazi-Adl, Christian Lariviere

Études primaires

Biomechanical modeling of the human trunk is crucial for understanding spinal mechanics and its role in ergonomics and clinical interventions. Traditional models have been limited by only considering the passive structures of the spine in finite element (FE) models or incorporating active muscular components in multi-body musculoskeletal (MS) models with an oversimplified spine. To address those limitations, we developed a subject-specific coupled FE-MS model of the trunk and explored its applications in ergonomics and surgical interventions. A parametric detailed FE model was constructed, integrated with a muscle architecture, and individualized based on existing datasets. Our comprehensive validation encompassed tissue-level responses, …

Measuring Achilles Tendon Stiffness And Kinetics In-Vivo, Chloe L. Pinkston

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study aims to measure the gastrocnemii Achilles subtendon passive stiffness and energy storage during walking. Stiffness was first determined using a noninvasive method that combines ultrasound, motion capture, musculoskeletal modeling, and a force transducer. Eight healthy participants were tested using this method to obtain the passive force-displacement relationship of the Achilles tendon at two different knee angles to calculate stiffness of the gastrocnemii subtendon. A gait analysis session was then performed using ultrasound, motion capture, and an instrumented treadmill at self-selected slow, normal, and fast walking speeds, using stiffness to calculate the subtendon’s force and energy storage. Gastrocnemii Achilles …

Effects Of Changes In Strouhal And Reynolds Numbers On Beetle Wing Aerodynamics, Keith L. Thiha

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Insect flight has long been a subject of interest across the scientific community, largely due to the exceptional aerodynamic performance insects demonstrate relative to their size. Insects tend to have very high aerodynamic performance characteristics like thrust and lift generation compared to their size. This has many potential applications in improving aircraft performance, however the flow phenomena concerning insect wing aerodynamics is still an area of ongoing research. This study aims to investigate how variations in key nondimensional flow parameters—specifically the Reynolds number and Strouhal number—affect the aerodynamic performance of beetle wings. Strouhal numbers ranging from 0.2 to 0.6 were …

Generation And Characterization Of Human Blood-Brain Barrier Models For Investigating Neuropsychiatric Disorders And Tumor Metastasis, Yunfei Li

Dissertations and Theses

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is important in the normal function of the central nervous system (CNS). An altered BBB has been described in various neuropsychiatric disorders. The brain-specific microvascular endothelial cell (BMEC) is an essential structural component of the BBB. To test if integrity of the BBB formed by BMECs is compromised in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (also called DiGeorge syndrome), which is one of the validated genetic risk factors for schizophrenia, a 2D iBBB (induced BBB) on a Transwell filter was generated from human microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) derived from the induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) out of patients with …

Your Foot Is Not A Brick: Using A Multi-Segment Foot Model To Explore The Actions Of The Ankle-Foot Complex During Uneven Terrain Gait., Tayler Jon Hoekstra

Dissertations and Theses

The field of biomechanics has seen continued development of models to be used and circumstances to be considered. An increasing number of more complex models for the foot known as multi-segment foot models (MSFMs) have created opportunities to better understand the compensatory motion of this vital portion of human anatomy. This research seeks to utilize one such MSFM model to increase understanding in how human ambulation changes in uneven terrain environments. Unique inner-foot joints defined by the Rizzoli foot model (RFM) were measured for and compared for subjects traversing both even and uneven terrain to quantify joints that experienced significant …

Strength Imbalances And Shoulder Pain In Manual Wheelchair Users Stratified By Age Of Spinal Cord Injury/Disorder (Sci/D) Onset, Ashlyn M. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction The majority of manual wheelchair users (MWUs) with spinal cord injury or disorder (SCI/D) develop shoulder pain. In adults with SCI/D, there is evidence that upper limb strength imbalances are associated with shoulder pain. However, strength imbalances may indicate protective compensatory strategies, and other factors may be important contributors to pain. Currently, personalized prevention and management of pain is limited, little is known about joint strength imbalances and pain in children who use manual wheelchairs, and the effect of the age of SCI/D onset is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of age …

Intervertebral Lateral Bending Moment Differences In The Lumbar Spine Of Baseball Pitchers Across Throwing Velocities, Justin Humenay

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction Baseball pitching imposes substantial mechanical demands on the lumbar spine, a crucial link in the kinetic chain responsible for transferring energy from the lower body to the upper extremity. While increased pitch velocity is associated with greater trunk forces the specific intervertebral loading patterns during high-velocity pitching remain unclear. This study investigates differences in lateral bending moments across lumbar spinal segments between collegiate pitchers throwing at high versus low velocities.

Methods Twenty right-handed collegiate pitchers were divided into two groups: high-velocity (n = 10, 90.3 ± 1.6 mph) and low-velocity (n = 10, 81.6 ± 1.1 mph). Motion capture …