Investigative Techniques Commons^™

Failure Of Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: Establishing A Baseline For Retrieval Analysis Using Well-Functioning Necropsy Specimens, Meredith Perkins

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Introduction. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is an effective treatment for end-stage osteoarthritis of the knee. While many patients have positive functional and pain outcomes following primary TKA, a subset of patients have suboptimal outcomes, such as unexplained pain or aseptic loosening of the implant components necessitating revision of the index procedure. The understanding of the exact etiology of these suboptimal outcomes of primary TKA is in its infancy. In order to elucidate the etiology of failure in primary TKAs, a baseline for the factors contributing to arthroplasty failure and dissatisfaction must first be established. The purpose of this study …

Habituation And Dishabituation In The Olfactory Bulb: From Neural Responses To Behavior, Mary Cameron Ogg

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Habituation and dishabituation modulate the neural resources and behavioral significance allocated to incoming stimuli across the sensory systems. The purpose of the research presented in this dissertation was to characterize these processes in the mouse olfactory bulb (OB) and to determine if OB acetylcholine (ACh) has a role in physiological and behavioral olfactory dishabituation. Calcium imaging was used to determine the timecourse and magnitude of habituation in different parts of the OB during and after a prolonged odor presentation. Widefield imaging of the dendritic, or glomerular, response of OB output cells demonstrated that prolonged odor input habituates glomerular responses during …

The Pathway To The Use Of A Structured And Supported Approach To Debriefing, Anne H. Zachry, S. B. Lancaster

Faculty Presentations

Debriefing plays a critical role in the transfer of knowledge in simulation education. Various methods are used in the debriefing process based on a variety of factors; this presentation sheds light on the pathway to the use of a structured and supported approach as traversed in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Tennessee Healthcare Center as well as reflections and lessons learned along the way. Engagement in this session will allow learners to further develop their debriefing skills through exposure to information about strategies to use in the debriefing process that can be used as part of …

Quantifying Joint Coordination Variability In Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Reconstructed Individuals During Walking, Kylie Davis

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The knee is the second most common joint to sustain injury. An estimated 200,000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures occur each year in the United States alone, and about 100,000 ACL reconstruction (ACLR) surgeries are performed annually. There is a significant risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee after incurring an ACL injury, and the incidence of ipsilateral or contralateral injury is six times greater in individuals who have a surgically repaired ACL. Past studies have analyzed kinetic and kinematic characteristics of individual lower extremity joints to reveal differences between subjects with and without ACLR. Despite reports of altered kinematic …

Genome-Scale Precision Proteomics Identifies Cancer Signaling Networks And Therapeutic Vulnerabilities, Hong Wang

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Mass spectrometry (MS) based-proteomics technology has been emerging as an indispensable tool for biomedical research. But the highly diverse physical and chemical properties of the protein building blocks and the dramatic human proteome complexity largely limited proteomic profiling depth. Moreover, there was a lack of high-throughput quantitative strategies that were both precise and parallel to in-depth proteomic techniques. To solve these grand challenges, a high resolution liquid chromatography (LC) system that coupled with an advanced mass spectrometer was developed to allow genome-scale human proteome identification. Using the combination of pre-MS peptide fractionation, MS2-based interference detection and post-MS computational interference correction, …

Development Of A Mobility-Enabling Spinal Orthosis And Methods For Evaluating And Developing Spinal Orthoses On A Robotic Platform, John C. Simmons

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Introduction: A number of decompressing spinal braces (typically pneumatic) have been introduced that attempt to mechanically emulate the “buoyancy” of water therapy by offloading upper torso load to the pelvic girdle as a treatment for lower back pain (LBP). Unfortunately, the beneficial upward force they apply on the upper torso typically makes it difficult or impossible for the patient to bend. For those cases where stabilization is not indicated, this undesirably hinders therapeutic exercise, independent living, and return to work. The cosmetic stigma of wearing an external pneumatic assembly large enough to provide significant offloading may provide additional disincentives to …

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Hybrid Tpr Technology For Obtaining Structural And Mechanistic Insights Into Tpr Proteins, Shanshan Yu

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Tetratricopeptide (TPR) repeats are a 34-residue helix-turn-helix motif that when repeated pack into a superhelical structure. TPR domains are frequently found mediating protein-protein interactions, often through a central groove. One protein complex bearing numerous TPR repeats is the Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC). The anaphase-promoting complex (APC) is a multi-subunit complex, which orchestrates mitotic cell cycles. APC is an E3 ligase in the ubiquitin cascade, and directs the 26S proteosome degradation of cell-cycle regulators. Throughout mitotic progression, proteins that are key regulators of the cell cycle are assembled with polyubiquitin chains by APC.

One domain of the human APC is comprised …

Development And Application Of A Biorobotic Simulation Of Stance Phase Gait To Study Foot And Ankle Kinematics, Kelly N. Salb

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Ankle instantaneous axis of rotation (IAR) measurements represent a more complete parameter for characterizing joint motion. However, few studies have implemented this measurement to study normal, injured, or pathological foot-ankle biomechanics. Additionally, while load is suggested to play a major role in ankle biomechanics, including influences on articular surfaces, bony motion, and formation of the arches, studies concerning the effects of joint loading are limited.

A novel testing protocol was developed to simulate in vivo mechanics of the foot-ankle complex during early stance phase gait in a human cadaveric model. Two studies were conducted. The first study was to assess …

The Development And Application Of A Custom Robotic Biomechanical Testing Platform Employing Real-Time Load-Control To Compare Spinal Biomechanical Testing Protocols: Pure Moment, Ideal Follower Load, And A Novel Trunk Weight Protocol, Charles Ramsey Bennett

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The human lumbar spine has been the subject of biomechanical study for many decades owing to the numerous medical cases resulting in the development of various corrective surgical procedures and medical devices intended to relieve patient discomfort. Spinal biomechanics is a broad field containing but not limited to the in vitro study of cadaveric tissue utilizing testing platforms used to apply motion- or load-profiles to tissue in the investigation of the various kinetic or kinematic responses, respectively. The particular arena field of this research concerns the field of robotics as it applies to testing platforms and how they are applied …

Bone Properties Of Recombinant Inbred Line - Bxd Mouse, Yueying Angela Zhang

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Osteoporosis is identified by reduced bone mass, decreased bone quality and altered bone micro-architecture. These traits are quantitative and also highly regulated by genetic and environmental factors. As a powerful tool for collaborative analysis of quantitative traits and gene function, BXD recombinant inbred (RI) lines mice have been used to identify genetic effects for bone density.

For the first time, we investigated the bone properties of BXD RI mice by analyzing femur and tibia and compared their phenotypes of different compartments. In this study, microcomputed tomography (µCT) provided an accurate measurement on characterizing bone quality and bone architecture ex-vivo; three-point …

An Innovative Testing Protocol To Study Foot And Ankle Kinetics During Early Stance Phase Of Gait, Thomas E. Stewart

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The objective of this study was to improve upon existing testing platform limitations with respect to foot and ankle mechanics in the sagittal plane during dorsiflexion and plantar flexion. The intent was to develop a multi-loading protocol that simulated aspects of early stance phase of walking gait. This data were used to evaluate the influence an Achilles load has on the kinematic profile of the ankle complex. Also, resulting kinematic profile data can be used to evaluate ligament/tendon effects, ankle arthroplasty, and various surgical techniques.

A pair of cadaveric human feet, from the same donor, 50 years of age were …

Use Of A Spine Robot Employing A Real Time Force Control Algorithm To Develop, Simulate, And Compare Spinal Biomechanical Testing Protocols: Eccentric Loading, Pure Moment, And A Novel Head Weight Protocol, Daniel Mark Wido

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

In vitro testing provides a critical tool for understanding the biomechanics of the subaxial cervical spine. Previous common testing protocols used to evaluate the subaxial cervical spine include Pure Moment (PM), follower load, and eccentric lever arm (EL) loading methods. Although these methods are widely accepted, there is always a goal to try to better simulate physiologic loading conditions. While the follower load attempts to simulate compression due to muscle activation, no previous protocol has taken into account the constant vertical force vector applied to C2 produced by the weight of the human head. Furthermore, we are unaware of previous …

Use Of A Multi-Axis Robotic Testing Platform To Investigate The Sagittal Mechanics Of The Multi-Body Lumbar Spine, Jessica Rose Stubbs

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

A biomechanical study was performed to compare range of motion of the multi-body lumbar spine using three different protocols: pure moment, eccentric loading, and a new method called combined loading moment. The objectives of the study were to introduce a new protocol that overcomes the limitations of previous methods by applying more realistic loading conditions and to compare the range of motion of this new protocol to those of eccentric loading and pure moment protocols within the same specimen pool. The second objective of this study was to compare the data sets of these three protocols to both in vivo …

The Development And Psychometric Testing Of A Hypertension Knowledge Instrument In A Vulnerable Population, Crescent Elayne Rowell

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The primary objective of the study was to assess the psychometric properties of a hypertension knowledge instrument in a vulnerable population. The secondary objective was to determine the association between hypertension knowledge and outcomes such as systolic and diastolic blood pressure and hemoglobin A1c.

A cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sample of 196 adults aged 18 years and older with hypertension. Item analysis was conducted to determine the reliability of the instrument. The factor structure was determined and confirmed using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between …

A Passive Pure Moment Protocol For Testing Spine Segments: Development And Application, Kyle David Fraysur

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The pure moment protocol is the accepted standard for performing in-vitro biomechanical testing of spinal devices. Published studies predominantly report range of motion and flexibility data, but information regarding the segment center of rotation is also relevant. Most current pure moment platforms are not sensitive enough to accurately calculate the instantaneous axis of rotation (IAR) for a segment throughout a bending motion. The purpose of this study was to simulate a pure moment protocol using a programmable spine robot, and use the data gathered to calculate the IAR for harvested specimen and those implanted with a constrained total disc replacement …

The Use Of Spectroscopic Techniques In The Characterization Of Mycobacterial Metabolites, Engy Abdelhameed Mahrous

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The mycobacterial cell wall metabolites have always imposed great challenges to researchers due to their unusual complexity and structural diversity. A lot of research efforts have been directed towards the evaluation of these metabolites and the role they play in the pathogenesis and virulence of different serious human pathogens including Mycobacterium tuberculosis the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB). In the genomic era, it is crucial to develop new methodologies to analyze these components from a global perspective in a comprehensive and well-validated manner.

Towards this end, we developed a rapid NMR-based approach to produce metabolic profiles in the form of …

Use Of Compliant Interbody Force Sensing Grafts To Compare Load Sharing Properties Of Unidirectional And Bidirectional Multilevel Dynamic Translational Anterior Cervical Plates, Jason Roscoe Roberson

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

INTRODUCTION: Pseudoarthrosis is a relatively rare complication following anterior cervical arthrodesis, and is felt to be related to stress shielding. To address this, dynamic anterior cervical plates have emerged to maintain load sharing as an arthodesis matures. Dynamic plates can translate bidirectionally (allow translation in compressive and tensile loads), or unidirectionally (allow translation in compression, but maintain its position under tensile loads). The objective of this study was to compare the graft load mechanics between three plated conditions during settling using compliant interbody load cells: A static (fixed, non-moving) plate, a unidirectional multi-level translational plate design, and a bidirectional two-level …

A Kinematics-Based Testing Protocol To Study The Mechanics Of The Human Lumbar Spine, Nephi A. Zufelt

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The objective of this work was to develop a new kinematics-based testing protocol to quantify the axial and shear force components and rotational moment properties of the human cadaveric lumbar motion segment unit (MSU) in response to specific kinematic inputs. Modern, non-fusion spinal devices claim to treat degenerative disc disease better than traditional fusion surgery. Though there have been many biomechanical studies completed on these devices, there is still a debate over their efficacy. Conventional testing methods provide insight into the rotational properties of the MSU but lack the sensitivity or capacity to quantify lumbar MSU’s mechanical properties including shear …

A Computer Simulation Model Of The Human Head-Neck Musculoskeletal System, Jun Yan

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Objective. The objective of this research was to develop a muscle-driven biomechanical model of the human head-neck system that could be used to simulate neck movements under muscle control. This model can further be modified to enable input from an external stimulus, such as EMG data.

Summary of background data. Utilizing computer aided design (CAD) and dynamic simulation software programs, the Joint Implant Biomechanics Laboratory at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center developed a virtual model of the human cervical spine to simulate the in vitro biomechanical experiments. This in vitro model did not include any muscle …

Mapping Of Cortical Motor Reorganization In Spinal Cord Injury, Leonid Rozhkov

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The annual incidence of spinal cord injury (SCI), not including those who die at the scene of the accident, is approximately 10,000 new cases in the United States. SCI, in its best outcome, may partially and temporarily disconnect the spinal cord from the brain. Some neuronal pathways remain intact in most S CI individuals, whose recovery depends on the utilization of the surviving connections. There is a change in the control of voluntary movements of the extremities by the cerebral cortex of the brain following spinal cord injury.

The technology of high-resolution EEG co-registered with MRI was applied to non-invasively …

Qualitative Evaluation Of Data Compression In Real-Time Ultrasound Imaging, Bijoy J. Sundersingh

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The purpose of this project was to evaluate qualitatively real-time ultrasound imaging using objective and subjective techniques to determine the minimum bandwidth required for clinical diagnosis of various anatomical and pathological states. In the experimental setup live ultrasound video samples representing the most common clinical examinations were compressed at 128, 256, 384, 768, 1152 and 1536 kbps using a compressor-decompressor (CODEC) adhering to International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) recommendation H.261. A protocol for qualitative evaluation was developed and subjective and objective testing were performed based on this protocol. Subjective methods comprised of inter-rater reliability tests using kappa statistics and three way …

Characteristics Of The Recovery Of The Coenzyme A-Synthesizing Protein Complex From Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Stanley Joseph Tarnowski Jr.

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

A multienzyme complex contained in Bakers' yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) which synthesizes CoA has been named the coenzyme A-synthesizing protein complex (CoA-SPC). The CoA-SPC has been shown to be insoluble in the crude Bakers' yeast cell lysate formed by exposing the yeast cell to ether and dry ice. Only after solubilization has this multienzyme complex been shown to catalyze the formation of bound dephospho-CoA utilizing the substrates adenosine triphosphate, D-pantothenic acid and L-cysteine. A low molecular weight component or components of the soluble fraction of the yeast cell and chloride ion appears to be responsible for the solubilization of CoA-SPC. This …

The Purification, Properties And Subunit Structure Of Glycerol Dehydrogenase, Michael James Barrett

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The inducible, NAD-linked glycerol dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.1.1.6) of a guanine requiring mutant of A. aerogenes has been purified to homogeneity. The molecular weight of the pure enzyme was found to be 3.4 x 10⁵ daltons. The sedimentation coefficient of the enzyme was 10.7 x 10^-13 sec.^-1. The diffusion constant was 3.07 x 10^-7 cm²/sec.

The partial specific volume calculated from the amino acid composition was 0.72 ml/g. The following kinetic parameters were determined; K_m glycerol, 2.4 x 10^-3 m, K_m NAD, 2.8 x 10^-4 M, K_m dihydroxyacetone, 5.1 …