Biomechanics Commons^™

Multiple Sclerosis Affects The Frequency Content In The Vertical Ground Reaction Forces During Walking, Shane R. Wurdeman, Jessie M. Huisinga, Mary Filipi, Nikolaos Stergiou

Journal Articles

Background: Multiple sclerosis is a progressive neurological disease that results in a high incident of gait disturbance. Exploring the frequency content of the ground reaction forces generated during walking may provide additional insights to gait in patients with multiple sclerosis that could lead to specific tools for differential diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in the frequency content of these forces in an effort to contribute to improved clinical management of this disease.

Methods: Eighteen patients and eighteen healthy controls walked across a 10 meter long walkway. The anterior–posterior and vertical ground reaction forces generated …

Approximate Entropy Used To Assess Sitting Postural Sway Of Infants With Developmental Delay, Joan E. Deffeyes, Regina T. Harbourne, Wayne A. Stuberg, Nikolaos Stergiou

Journal Articles

Infant sitting postural sway provides a window into motor development at an early age. The approximate entropy, a measure of randomness, in the postural sway was used to assess developmental delay, as occurs in cerebral palsy. Parameters used for the calculation of approximate entropy were investigated, and approximate entropy of postural sway in early sitting was found to be lower for infants with developmental delay in the anterior–posterior axis, but not in the medial–lateral axis. Spectral analysis showed higher frequency features in the postural sway of early sitting of infants with typical development, suggesting a faster control mechanism is active …

Knee Range Of Motion: Reliability And Agreement Of 3 Measurement Methods, Paul G. Peters, Michael A. Herbenick, Philip A. Anloague, Ronald J. Markert, L. Joseph Rubino

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

We conducted a study to compare 3 methods of measuring knee range of motion: visual estimation by physicians, hand goniometry by physical therapists, and radiographic goniometry. We hypothesized that reliability would be high within and across all techniques. We found intrarater and interrater reliability to be satisfactory for visual estimation, hand goniometry, and radiographic goniometry. Interrater reliability across methods did not agree satisfactorily. Between-methods differences in estimating knee range of motion may result from variations in technique among physicians and physical therapists.

A Comparison Of Two Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Programs In Females With Stress Urinary Incontinence: A Pilot Study, Betsy Donahoe-Fillmore, Wendy Chorny, C. Jayne Brahler, Ashley Ingley, Jennifer Kennedy, Valerie Osterfeld

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a condition affecting millions of Americans. Few studies have assessed the benefits of different exercises involved in pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT). Purposte: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a traditional PFMT program to an assisted pelvic floor muscle training (APFMT) program that included contraction of hip musculature.

Investigating The Associations Between Core Strength, Postural Control And Fine Motor Performance In Children, Rachel Burnett, Nicole Cornett, Gina Rekart, Betsy Donahoe-Fillmore, C. Jayne Brahler, Susan Aebker, Megan Kreill

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Study design: Quantitative design including statistical analysis.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine if there is an association between core strength, postural control, fine motor precision and integration, specifically in typical children in the first and third grades, ages 6-10. The secondary purpose of this study was to determine if there was an association between BMI and fine and gross motor ability in this same population.

Background: The relationship between core strength, postural control and fine motor skills in children is not well understood. The assumption that trunk stability and control are necessary for the maturation of …

Strength And Hypertrophy Responses To Constant And Decreasing Rest Intervals In Trained Men Using Creatine Supplementation, Tacito P. Souza-Junior, Jeffrey M. Willardson, Richard Bloomer, Richard D. Leite, Steven J. Fleck, Paulo R. Oliveira, Robert Simao

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

The purpose of the current study was to compare strength and hypertrophy responses to resistance training programs that instituted constant rest intervals (CI) and decreasing rest intervals (DI) between sets over the course of eight weeks by trained men who supplemented with creatine monohydrate (CR).

Finite Element Reconstruction Of Real World Aortic Injury In Near-Side Lateral Automotive Crashes With Conceptual Countermeasures, Aditya Neelakanta Belwadi

Wayne State University Dissertations

Traumatic rupture of the aorta (TRA) remains the second most common cause of death associated with motor vehicle crashes after brain injury. On an average, nearly 8,000 people die annually in the United States due to blunt injury to the aorta. It is observed that more than 80% of occupants who suffer an aortic injury die at the scene due to exsanguination into the chest. With the advent of more accurate and established human body finite element (FE) models, FE crash reconstruction methods may become a valuable tool when assessing crash scenarios and occupant injury mechanisms.

The current study is …

A Multi-Species Analysis Of Biomechanical Responses Of The Head To A Shock Wave, Richard Bolander

Wayne State University Dissertations

Shock wave induced brain injury remains a field of research that has great consequences for the rehabilitation of soldiers and civilians that are exposed to an explosion. As such, for the research to be successful in developing strategies to mitigate the effects of these injuries, appropriate research methods need to be developed. Animal models are currently employed to understand the brain's response to a shock wave exposure. Unfortunately no criteria have been established that indicates in what way the mechanical inputs that the cells in an animal's brain are subjected to are similar to a human. The purpose of this …

Computational Simulation Of Skull Fracture Patterns In Pediatric Subjects Using A Porcine Model, Christina Devito Wagner

Wayne State University Dissertations

In cases of suspected child abuse with skeletal trauma, it is often the role of the injury biomechanist, forensic pathologist, clinical radiologist, and forensic anthropologist to determine the mechanism of injury when the child victims cannot speak for themselves. This is a challenging task, especially for the head, as comprehensive biomechanical data on skull fracture in infants and children do not currently exist, and frequently the determination regarding cause of injury is based on anecdotal evidence from the medical literature and unsubstantiated eyewitness accounts. The current process may result in unreliable autopsy interpretation and miscarriages of justice due to a …

Elliptical Exercise Improves Fatigue Ratings And Quality Of Life In Patients With Multiple Sclerosis, Jessie M. Huisinga, Mary Filipi, Nikolaos Stergiou

Journal Articles

Fatigue, reduced quality of life (QOL), and lower physical activity levels are commonly reported in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This study evaluated the effects of elliptical exercise on fatigue and QOL reports in patients with MS. Patients with MS (n = 26) completed the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) before and after completing 15 elliptical exercise training sessions. Changes in fatigue and QOL were assessed based on any changes in the fatigue and SF-36 questionnaires, and correlations between changes in each of the …

Walking Abnormalities Are Associated With Copd: An Investigation Of The Nhanes Iii Dataset, Jenna M. Yentes, Harlan Sayles, Jane Meza, David M. Mannino, Stephen I. Rennard, Nikolaos Stergiou

Journal Articles

Research on the peripheral effects of COPD has focused on physiological and structural changes. However, different from muscular weakness or decreased physical activity, mechanical abnormalities of the muscular system, e.g. walking, have yet to be investigated. Our purpose was to utilize the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset to determine whether walking abnormalities are associated with COPD severity. To determine if walking abnormalities were independently associated with COPD severity, our analysis aimed to investigate the association of physical activity levels with COPD severity and with walking abnormalities. The NHANES III dataset that contains data for 31,000 persons that …

Anterior-Posterior And Medial-Lateral Control Of Sway In Infants During Sitting Acquisition Does Not Become Adult-Like, Fabien Cignetti, Anastasia Kyvelidou, Regina T. Harbourne, Nikolaos Stergiou

Journal Articles

We examined (1) how sitting postural control in infants develops in the anterior–posterior (A/P) and medial–lateral (M/L) directions of sway, and (2) whether this control is already adult-like during the late phase of infant's sitting acquisition. COP data were acquired from 14 healthy infants (from the onset of sitting until independent sitting) and 21 healthy adults while sitting on a force platform. Attractor dimensionality (CoD: correlation dimension), attractor predictability (LyE: largest Lyapunov exponent), and sway variability (RMS: root-mean square) were calculated from the COP data to evaluate postural control. In the A/P direction, sitting was mastered by the infants by …

Nebraska Biomechanics Core Facilty 2010-2011 Annual Report, Issue 9, Nebraska Biomechanics Core Facility

Biomechanics Annual Report

April 2010 - May 2011

This issue features Announcements, Featured News, Student Profiles, Projects, Collaborators, Awards, Publications, and Support.

Electromechanical Delay Of The Knee Flexor Muscles After Harvesting The Hamstrings For Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Stavros Ristanis, Elias Tsepis, Dimitrios Giotis, Franceska Zampeli, Nikolaos Stergiou, Anastasios D. Georgoulis

Journal Articles

Objective: To investigate if harvesting of semitendinosus (ST) and gracilis for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction will have an effect in coordinative firing pattern of the hamstrings under fatigue. We hypothesized that fatigue will increase the electromechanical delay (EMD) of the hamstrings on the harvested site and impair the synchronization between the medial and lateral hamstrings, in terms of muscle activity onsets.

Design: Prospective nonrandomized study. Setting: Institutional. Patients: Twelve ACL reconstructed patients with hamstrings, 2 years postoperatively.

Interventions: The patients performed a fatigue protocol with 25 continuous maximal isometric voluntary contractions of 8-second duration with 2-second …

Validating The Nike+ Wireless Sport Kit For Estimating Pace, Distance, And Energy Expenditure During Treadmill Walking And Running, Derek Joseph Acosta

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The use of accelerometry based physical activity monitors among recreational athletes to meet or exceed recommended physical activity guidelines has grown in popularity. In the interest of capitalizing on this demand, Adidas developed the miCoach Pacer System which allows the user to observe pace, distance, and energy expenditure during walking or running. Purpose. To validate the accuracy of the Adidas miCoach activity monitor in estimating energy expenditure (EE) (kcal/min), pace (min/km), and distance (km) during treadmill walking and running, and for two different sensor configurations. Methods. Nine male and 9 female moderately endurance trained volunteers (mean ± SD age: 28.83 …

Regulation Of Cell Adhesion Strength By Spatial Organization Of Focal Adhesions, Kranthi Kumar Elineni

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cell adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM) is critical to various cellular processes like cell spreading, migration, growth and apoptosis. At the tissue level, cell adhesion is important in the pathological and physiological processes that regulate the tissue morphogenesis. Cell adhesion to the ECM is primarily mediated by the integrin family of receptors. The receptors that are recruited to the surface are reinforced by structural and signaling proteins at the adhesive sites forming focal adhesions that connect the cytoskeleton to further stabilize the adhesions. The functional roles of these focal adhesions extend beyond stabilizing adhesions and transduce mechanical signals at the …

Effects Of Lateral Ligament Sectioning On The Stability Of The Ankle And Subtalar Joint, Stacie I. Ringleb, Ajaya Dhakal, Claude D. Anderson, Sebastian Bawab, Rajesh Paranjape

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Patients with subtalar joint instability are often diagnosed with ankle instability. Only after a prolonged period of time in which a patient does not improve after treatment for ankle instability is subtalar joint instability considered. To develop a clinically relevant method to diagnose subtalar joint instability, the kinematics of the simulated unstable subtalar joint were examined. A 6 degree-of-freedom positioning and loading device was developed. Plantarflexion/dorsiflexion, inversion/eversion, and internal/external rotation were applied individually or as coupled motions along with an anterior/posterior drawer. Kinematic data were collected from sensors attached to the calcaneus, talus, and tibia by keeping all the ligaments …

Stride-To-Stride Variability Is Altered During Backward Walking In Anterior Cruciate Ligament Deficient Patients, Franceska Zampeli, Constantina Moraiti Moraiti, Sofia Xergia, Vasilios Tsiaras, Nikolaos Stergiou, Anastasios D. Georgoulis

Journal Articles

Background: Recently backward walking is used by physical therapists to strengthen the hamstring muscles and thus improve the function of the knee joint of anterior cruciate ligament deficient patients. The aim of this study was to examine the stride-to-stride variability of anterior cruciate ligament deficient patients during backward walking. The variation of how a motor behavior emerges in time is best captured by tools derived from nonlinear dynamics, for which the temporal sequence in a series of values is the facet of interest.

Methods: Fifteen patients with unilateral anterior cruciate ligament deficiency and eleven healthy controls walked backwards …

The Effect Of Music On Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgical Performance, Ka-Chun Siu, I. H. Suh, Mukul Mukherjee, D. Oleynikov, Nikolaos Stergiou

Journal Articles

Music is often played in the operating room to increase the surgeon’s concentration and to mask noise. It could have a beneficial effect on surgical performance. Ten participants with limited experience with the da Vinci robotic surgical system were recruited to perform two surgical tasks: suture tying and mesh alignment when classical, jazz, hip-hop, and Jamaican music were presented. Kinematics of the instrument tips of the surgical robot and surface electromyography of the subjects were recorded. Results revealed that a significant music effect was found for both tasks with decreased time to task completion (P = .005) and total …

A Comparison Of Interventions For Children With Cerebral Palsy To Improve Sitting Postural Control: A Clinical Trial, Regina T. Harbourne, Sandra L. Willett, Anastasia Kyvelidou, Joan E. Deffeyes, Nikolaos Stergiou

Journal Articles

Background The ability to sit independently is fundamental for function but delayed in infants with cerebral palsy (CP). Studies of interventions directed specifically toward sitting in infants with CP have not been reported.

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare 2 interventions for improving sitting postural control in infants with CP.

Design For this randomized longitudinal study, infants under 2 years of age and at risk for CP were recruited for intervention directed toward sitting independence.

Setting The intervention was conducted at home or at an outpatient facility.

Patients and Intervention Fifteen infants with typical development (mean age …