Kinesiology Commons^™

Subject-Specific Musculoskeletal Modeling Of Hip Dysplasia Biomechanics, Ke Song

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is characterized by abnormal bony anatomy, causes pain and functional limitations, and is a prominent risk factor for premature hip osteoarthritis. Although the pathology of DDH is believed to be mechanically-induced, little is known about how DDH anatomy alters hip biomechanics during activities of daily living, partly due to the difficulties with measuring hip muscle and joint forces. Musculoskeletal models (MSMs) are useful for dynamic simulations of joint mechanics, but the reliability of MSMs for DDH research is limited by an accurate model representation of the unique hip anatomy. To address such challenges, this …

Swimmers’ Upper Trapezius Activation During Shoulder Abduction Compared To Non-Overhead Athletes, Kendra Graham

Senior Honors Projects

Overhead sports such as baseball, tennis, volleyball, softball and swimming are known to cause rotator cuff imbalances and injuries. These injuries are typically caused by the repeated use of “throwing motion,” where the humerus is externally rotated and shoulder abducted and elevated. Previous research has shown that the function of the upper trapezius muscle in overhead athletes is likely to have improper activation (timing, magnitude) during various shoulder motions and/or activities of daily living. Swimmers are especially susceptible to this improper activation due to the use of their upper limbs in a repeated throwing motion. The added resistance of the …

Effects Of Different Stretching Modalities On The Antagonist And Agonist Muscles On Isokinetic Strength And Vertical Jump Performance, Samuel Montalvo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Warm-ups are essential components of all training sessions, sports, and physical activities. Warm-ups are typically composed of a variety of stretches. Two stretching modalities that are commonly performed before any physical activity are the static and dynamic stretching modalities. Historically, static stretching has been used as a preferred stretching modality during the warm-up period. However, research indicates that static stretching â?? if done prior to the training session â?? may inhibit the expression of muscular strength, muscular activation, and vertical jump height. On the contrary, dynamic stretching has been shown to improve the expression of muscular strength, muscular activation, and …

The Effect Of Shin-Torso Alignment On Muscle Activity And Joint Angles Of The Lower Extremity In Collegiate Ice Hockey Players, Noah A. Pring, Stacy L. Solomon, Andy Obrien, Ryan T. Conners, Paul N. Whitehead

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 14(1): 552-562, 2021. Ice hockey is prevalent with injuries due to fatigue-related degradation of mechanics occurring throughout a season. The player’s skating position is vital because it can impact muscle activation patterns of the lower extremity. If too much stress is placed on a muscle, it could lead to muscle fatigue and increased likelihood of injury. The purpose of this study was to measure muscle activation patterns and joint angle changes of the lower extremity in ice hockey players during three different simulated skating positions. Electromyography sensors were placed on muscles of the quadriceps, hamstrings, …

Ankle-Knee Initial Contact Angle And Latency To Maximum Angle Are Affected By Prolonged Run, Sydni Wilhoite, Jessica Mutchler, Barry Munkasy, Li Li

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 14(1): 33-44, 2021. The initial contact and midstance angles may influence injury risk. Previous literature has not assessed these angles under the influence of new footwear for a non-exhaustive prolonged run or the relationship between the angles. To assess lower extremity kinematic changes and the relationship between kinematic parameters at initial contact and midstance with prolonged running under the influence of different types of footwear. Twelve experienced, recreational runners (6 male; 6 female; 24.8 ± 8.4 years; 70.5 ± 9.3 kg; 174.1 ± 9.7 cm) ran for 31 minutes at a self-selected pace for three …

The Biomechanical Energetics Of Terrestrial Locomotion In California Sea Lions (Zalophus Californianus): Efficiency Of Quadrupedal Galloping, Sarah Kerr

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Pinnipedia, an order of semi-aquatic marine mammals, adapted a body design that allows for efficient aquatic locomotion but limited terrestrial locomotion. Phocids (true seals) have reduced forelimbs and are unable to bring their hindlimbs beneath them during terrestrial locomotion. Otariids, like the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), have enlarged forelimbs and can bring their hindlimbs under the body to locomote quadrupedally on land. Due to these differences, phocids are expected to move on land with greater energetic costs compared to otariids. The mechanical costs of transport and power outputs of terrestrial locomotion were compared between the California sea …

Broadening The Capability Of Kinetics Analysis In Biomechanics, Nicholas Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two studies are discussed in this manuscript each preceded by a literature review of the topic. The first review and study explore agility movements and the effect that alternative upper designs in shoes might have on ground reaction force measures of performance. The second review and study evaluate methods of predicting ground reaction forces without the use of a force platform. A method of using effective forces and ways of improving its accuracy are evaluated in depth.

Sequential Order Of Swing Phase Initiation In Baseball, Ethan Stewart, Megan Stewart, Jeffrey Simpson, Adam Knight, Harish Chander, Robert Shapiro

Kinesiology and Health Promotion Faculty Publications

In order to successfully hit a baseball, hitters must utilize a series of preparatory movements (swing phases) which include shifting their body weight, stepping, landing, and swinging. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between start times for swing phases (shifting, stepping, landing, and swinging)for currently active baseball players. Participants (n = 12) were all current collegiate baseball athletes. Retroreflective markers, surface electromyography (EMG) and two force platforms were utilized to complete a swing analysis. Each participant completed five swinging trials off a tee. All dependent variables were compared using a repeated measures 1×4 ANOVA with …

The Role Of Spine In Causing Lameness In Horses, Raja Zabeeh Ullah Khan

International Programs

Lameness is one of the most important problems of horses. It influences all communities who keep horses. Recent studies have shown the significance of spinal muscles and vertebrae in inducing lameness in horses. The field has not been explored much and requires application of biomechanics to define the role of spine in inducing lameness in horses. This presentation highlights the importance of spine in inducing lameness in horses by relating the solution with biomechanics.

Effects Of Prolonged Load Carriage Of Knee Adduction Biomechanics, Micah Daniel Drew

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Incidence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in service members is twice that of the general population. Yet, it is currently unknown how body borne load and duration of walking with body borne load impact knee adduction, biomechanics linked to progression and severity of OA. Purpose: This study sought to examine magnitude and variability of knee adduction joint angle and moment throughout a prolonged walking task with body borne load. Methods: Eighteen participants had knee biomechanics quantified every five minutes while they walked at 1.3 m/s during a 60-minute over-ground walking task with three body-borne loads (unloaded, 15 kg and 30 …

Neuromotor Control Of The Hand During Smartphone Manipulation, Prasanna Kumar Acharya

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary focus of this dissertation was to understand the motor control strategy used by our neuromuscular system for the multi-layered motor tasks involved during smartphone manipulation. To understand this control strategy, we recorded the kinematics and multi-muscle activation pattern of the right limb during smartphone manipulation, including grasping with/out tapping, movement conditions (MCOND), and arm heights.

In the first study (chapter 2), we examined the neuromuscular control strategy of the upper limb during grasping with/out tapping executed with a smartphone by evaluating muscle-activation patterns of the upper limb during different movement conditions (MCOND). There was a change in muscle …

The Influence Of Sport-Related Concussion On Lower Extremity Injury Risk: A Review Of Current Return-To-Play Practices And Clinical Implications, Jason M. Avedesian, Tracey Covassin, Janet S. Dufek

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(3): 873-889, 2020. Sport-related concussions (SRCs) are now classified as a major health concern affecting athletes across all sporting levels, with recent evidence suggesting upwards of 3.8 million SRCs occur each year. Multiple injury surveillance datasets have recently determined that athletes post-SRC, compared to non-concussed counterparts, are at greater risk for lower extremity (LE) injury beyond the resolution of traditional SRC assessment batteries. However, it is presently uncertain if common clinical practices (symptom reporting, neuropsychological (NP) examination, and static postural control analysis) can determine athletes at risk for LE injury following an SRC. A comprehensive …

Filtering Affects The Calculation Of The Largest Lyapunov Exponent, Peter C. Raffalt, Ben Senderling, Nicholas Stergiou

Journal Articles

The calculation of the largest Lyapunov exponent (LyE) requires the reconstruction of the time series in an N-dimensional state space. For this, the time delay (Tau) and embedding dimension (EmD) are estimated using the Average Mutual Information and False Nearest Neighbor algorithms. However, the estimation of these variables (LyE, Tau, EmD) could be compromised by prior filtering of the time series evaluated. Therefore, we investigated the effect of filtering kinematic marker data on the calculation of Tau, EmD and LyE using several different computational codes. Kinematic marker data were recorded from 37 subjects during treadmill walking and filtered using a …

Step Width Variability As A Discriminator Of Age-Related Gait Changes, Andreas Skiadopoulos, Emily E. Moore, Harlan Sayles, Kendra K. Schmid, Nicholas Stergiou

Journal Articles

Background

There is scientific evidence that older adults aged 65 and over walk with increased step width variability which has been associated with risk of falling. However, there are presently no threshold levels that define the optimal reference range of step width variability. Thus, the purpose of our study was to estimate the optimal reference range for identifying older adults with normative and excessive step width variability.

Methods

We searched systematically the BMC, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, Frontiers, IEEE, PubMed, Scopus, SpringerLink, Web of Science, Wiley, and PROQUEST databases until September 2018, and included the studies that measured step width variability …

Ground Contact Time Imbalances Strongly Related To Impaired Running Economy, Dustin P. Joubert, Nicholas A. Guerra, Eric J. Jones, Erica G. Knowles, Aaron D. Piper

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(4): 427-437, 2020. Running economy (RE) is defined as the oxygen consumption (VO₂) or caloric unit cost required to move at a specific velocity and is an important performance marker. Ground contact time (GCT) has been associated with RE; however, it has not been established how GCT imbalances between feet impact RE. Purpose: Determine the relationship between cadence, GCT, and GCT imbalances and RE. Methods: 11 NCAA Division I distance runners (7 male) completed a graded exercise test on a treadmill to determine lactate threshold (LT) and VO₂max. Body composition was …

Auditory And Visual External Cues Have Different Effects On Spatial But Similar Effects On Temporal Measures Of Gait Variability, Joao R. Vaz, Troy Rand, Jessica Fujan-Hansen, Mukul Mukherjee, Nicholas Stergiou

Journal Articles

Walking synchronized to external cues is a common practice in clinical settings. Several research studies showed that this popular gait rehabilitation tool alters gait variability. There is also recent evidence which suggests that alterations in the temporal structure of the external cues could restore gait variability at healthy levels. It is unknown, however, if such alterations produce similar effects if the cueing modalities used are different; visual or auditory. The modality could affect gait variability differentially, since there is evidence that auditory cues mostly act in the temporal domain of gait, while visual cues act in the spatial domain of …

Acl Injury And Reconstruction Affect Control Of Ground Reaction Forces Produced During A Novel Task That Simulates Cutting Movements, Amelia Lanier, Brian Knarr, Nicholas Stergiou, Lynn Snyder-Mackler, Thomas S. Buchanan

Journal Articles

After anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and reconstruction, biomechanical and neuromuscular control deficits persist and 25% of those who have experienced an ACL injury will experience a second ACL rupture in the first year after returning to sports. There remains a need for improved rehabilitation and the ability to detect an individual's risk of secondary ACL rupture. Nonlinear analysis metrics, such as the largest Lyapunov exponent (LyE) can provide new biomechanical insight in this population by identifying how movement patterns evolve over time. The purpose of this study was to determine how ACL injury, ACL reconstruction (ACLR), and participation in …

Ground Contact Time Imbalances Strongly Related To Impaired Running Economy, Dustin P. Joubert, Nicholas A. Guerra, Eric J. Jones, Erica G. Knowles, Aaron D. Piper

Faculty Publications

Running economy (RE) is defined as the oxygen consumption (VO2) or caloric unit cost required to move at a specific velocity and is an important performance marker. Ground contact time (GCT) has been associated with RE; however, it has not been established how GCT imbalances between feet impact RE. Purpose: Determine the relationship between cadence, GCT, and GCT imbalances and RE. Methods: 11 NCAA Division I distance runners (7 male) completed a graded exercise test on a treadmill to determine lactate threshold (LT) and VO2max. Body composition was also assessed via DEXA. Subjects ran with a heart rate monitor capable …

Form And Function Of The California Sea Lion (Zalophus Californianus) Hindflippers: Control Surfaces For Subaqueous Maneuvers, Ariel Leahy

West Chester University Master’s Theses

The hindflippers of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) have previously been overlooked as aquatic control surfaces. Although passively trailed in rectilinear swimming, the hindflippers are abducted into a delta-wing shape during aquatic maneuvers. As the anatomy of sea lion hindflippers had not previously been described, anatomical/morphological examinations were completed via scaled measurements and dissections. It was found that the tendons of Flexor Hallucis Longus and Flexor Digitorum Longus insert into the collagen matrix of the crenellations instead of onto bone and the tendons of Flexor Digitorum Brevis contain foramen through which the tendons of Flexor Digitorum Longus pass. …

Modular Footwear That Partially Offsets Downhill Or Uphill Grades Minimizes The Metabolic Cost Of Human Walking, Prokopios Antonellis, Cory M. Frederick, Arash Mohammadzadeh Gonabadi, Philippe Malcolm

Journal Articles

Walking on different grades becomes challenging on energetic and muscular levels compared to level walking. While it is not possible to eliminate the cost of raising or lowering the centre of mass (COM), it could be possible to minimize the cost of distal joints with shoes that offset downhill or uphill grades. We investigated the effects of shoe outsole geometry in 10 participants walking at 1 m s−1 on downhill, level and uphill grades. Level shoes minimized metabolic rate during level walking (Psecond-order effect < 0.001). However, shoes that entirely offset the (overall) treadmill grade did not minimize the metabolic rate of walking on grades: shoes with a +3° (upward) inclination minimized metabolic rate during downhill walking on a −6° grade, and shoes with a −3° (downward) inclination minimized metabolic rate during uphill walking on a +6° grade (P interaction effect = 0.023). Shoe inclination influenced (distal) ankle joint parameters, including soleus muscle activity, ankle moment and work rate, whereas treadmill grade influenced (whole-body) ground reaction force and COM work rate as well as (distal) ankle joint parameters including tibialis anterior and plantarflexor muscle activity, ankle moment and work rate. Similar modular footwear could be used to minimize joint loads or assist with walking on rolling terrain.

Atv Dynamics And Pediatric Rider Safety, James T. Auxier Ii

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

It has been observed through numerous academic and governmental agency studies that pediatric all-terrain vehicle ridership carries significant risk of injury and death. While no doubt valuable to safety, the post-hoc approach employed in these studies does little to explain the why and how behind the risk factors. Furthermore, there has been no prolonged, widespread, organized, and concerted effort to reconstruct and catalog the details and causes of the large (20,000+) number of ATV-related injuries that occur each year as has been done for road-based motor vehicle accidents. This dissertation takes the opposite approach from a meta-analysis and instead examines …

Comparing Knee Joint Mechanics Across Phases Of The Menstrual Cycle, Bethany Kilpatrick

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are among the most commonly occurring knee injury. Compared to men in the same sports, females are two to eight times at higher risk for ACL injury. Research suggests that hormone fluctuations across the menstrual cycle (MC) play a crucial role in ACL injuries due to their effect on tendons and ligament's mechanical properties. PURPOSE: To examine knee joint laxity during dynamic movements across three-time points of the MC. METHODS: Seven young, healthy females with regular MCs performed three jump-landing tasks (double leg depth jump, single-leg lateral jump, and single-leg forward jump) across the early-follicular, …

The Effects Of A 6-Week Controlled Whole-Body Vibration Training Program In Reducing Falls Risk Among Healthy Older Adults, Fabricio Saucedo Jr.

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Falling is the second leading cause of accidental or injury-related death in the aging population worldwide and a leading cause of serious injury. Whole-body vibration (WBV) training has been implemented as a way to improve functional performance among the elderly and reduce the falls risk. The purposes of this study were: 1) examine to what extent a six-week course of WBV training reduced falls risk and improved fall outcomes in response to slips, and 2) examine whether the benefits of WBV training could be retained at least 2 months after the completion of the entire training session. A total of …

The Influence Of Over-Ground Versus Treadmill Walking On Gait Mechanics In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emily Ann Chavez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Treadmill (TM) walking may be a way to combat obesity and socio-behavioral barriers associated with children with Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD), though tripping-risk has not yet been assessed for this population through use of spatial-temporal gait analysis. The aim of this project/study was to examine spatial-temporal walking mechanics and lower extremity tripping descriptors between over ground (OG) and TM gait conditions in children with ASD compared to children with neurotypical development (NT). Kinematics data were obtained through tridimensional motion analysis where participants, 10 children with ASD and 9 age- and sexmatched NT controls, were outfitted with retroreflective markers on their …

Biomechanics And Neural Control Of Movement: Cmi's Effects On Downstream Motor Processing And Gait In Forwards And Backwards Walking, Christopher Choi

CMC Senior Theses

Analyzing the effects of cognitive motor interferences (CMI) on walking is usually done in patients with neurological comorbidity or during forward walking (FW). However, there are few studies that examine gait differences between FW and backward walking (BW) under the presence of CMI when speed is kept constant on a treadmill. In this study we examined how CMI would disrupt sensory feedback and affect the descending motor pathway. We hypothesized that subjects that walked backwards and were given a cognitive task would show the greatest differences in gait due to a lack of visual input and the presence of CMI. …

Mechanisms Of Hamstring Strain Injury: Interactions Between Fatigue, Muscle Activation And Function, Shaun Huygaerts, Francesc Cos, Daniel D. Cohen, Julio Calleja-Gonzalez, Marc Guitart, Anthony J. Blazevich, Pedro E. Alcarez

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Isolated injury to the long head of biceps femoris is the most common type of acute hamstring strain injury (HSI). However, the precise hamstring injury mechanism (i.e., sprint-type) is still not well understood, and research is inconclusive as to which phase in the running cycle HSI risk is the greatest. Since detailed information relating to hamstring muscle function during sprint running cannot be obtained in vivo in humans, the findings of studies investigating HSI mechanisms are based on modeling that requires assumptions to be made based on extrapolations from anatomical and biomechanical investigations. As it is extremely difficult to account …

Gait Entrainment In Coupled Oscillator Systems: Clarifying The Role Of Energy Optimization In Human Walking, Ryan T. Schroeder

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Empirical evidence suggests that parameters of human gait (e.g. step frequency, step length) tend to minimize energy expenditure. However, it is unclear if individuals can adapt to dynamic environments in real time, i.e. continuously optimize energy expenditure, and to what extent. Two coupled oscillator systems were used to test the learned interactions of individuals within dynamic environments: (1) experienced farmworkers carrying oscillating loads on a flexible bamboo pole and (2) individuals walking on a treadmill while strapped to a mechatronics oscillator system providing periodic forces to the body. Reductionist trajectory optimization models predicted energy-minimizing gait interactions within the coupled oscillator …

Tunnel-Tube And Fourier Methods For Measuring Three-Dimensional Medium Reaction Force In Burrowing Animals, Alexis Moore Crisp, Clinton J. Barnes, David V. Lee

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Subterranean digging behaviors provide opportunities for protection, access to prey, and predator avoidance for a diverse array of vertebrates, yet studies of the biomechanics of burrowing have been limited by the technical challenges of measuring kinetics and kinematics of animals moving within a medium. We describe a new system for measuring 3D reaction forces during burrowing, called a ‘tunnel-tube’, which is composed of two, separately instrumented plastic tubes: an ‘entry tube’ with no medium, in series with a ‘digging tube’ filled with medium. Mean reaction forces are measured for a digging bout and Fourier analysis is used to quantify the …

Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction With Traditional Docking Compared To Novel Surgical Techniques, Kayley D. Guy, Brendon P. Mcdermott, Kaitlin Gallagher, Tyrone Washington

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction (UCLR) is a surgical procedure on one of the main ligaments that provides normal stability for the elbow joint against excessive valgus stress. Damage to this ligament is common in athletes performing overhead throwing activities, primarily baseball players, due to excessive valgus stress during the throwing motion. The most common form of treatment for this type of injury is reconstructive surgery of the ligament, especially if athletes wish to return to sport participation. This type of surgery is extremely invasive and requires extensive post-operative rehabilitation in order to facilitate return to play. To date, many …

Ankle And Midtarsal Joint Quasi-Stiffness During Walking With Added Mass, Andrew M. Kern, Nikolaos Papachatzis, Jeffrey M. Patterson, Dustin A. Bruening, Kota Z. Takahashi

Journal Articles

Examination of how the ankle and midtarsal joints modulate stiffness in response to increased force demand will aid understanding of overall limb function and inform the development of bio-inspired assistive and robotic devices. The purpose of this study is to identify how ankle and midtarsal joint quasi-stiffness are affected by added body mass during over-ground walking. Healthy participants walked barefoot over-ground at 1.25 m/s wearing a weighted vest with 0%, 15% and 30% additional body mass. The effect of added mass was investigated on ankle and midtarsal joint range of motion (ROM), peak moment and quasi-stiffness. Joint quasi-stiffness was broken …