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- J Biomech 44(15):IFC (2011)
- In vivo porcine left atrial wall stress: Computational model
- J Biomech 44(15):2589-2594 (2011)
Most computational models of the heart have so far concentrated on the study of the left ventricle, mainly using simplified geometries. The same approach cannot be adopted to model the left atrium, whose irregular shape does not allow morphological simplifications. In addition, the deformation of the left atrium during the cardiac cycle strongly depends on the interaction with its surrounding structures. We present a procedure to generate a comprehensive computational model of the left atrium, including physiological loads (blood pressure), boundary conditions (pericardium, pulmonary veins and mitral valve annulus movement) and mechanical properties based on planar biaxial experiments. The model was able to accurately reproduce the in vivo dynamics of the left atrium during the passive portion of the cardiac cycle. A shift in time between the peak pressure and the maximum displacement of the mitral valve annulus allows the appendage to inflate and bend towards the vent! ricle before the pulling effect associated with the ventricle contraction takes place. The ventricular systole creates room for further expansion of the appendage, which gets in close contact with the pericardium. The temporal evolution of the volume in the atrial cavity as predicted by the finite element simulation matches the volume changes obtained from CT scans. The stress field computed at each time point shows remarkable spatial heterogeneity. In particular, high stress concentration occurs along the appendage rim and in the region surrounding the pulmonary veins. - Functional knee axis based on isokinetic dynamometry data: Comparison of two methods, MRI validation, and effect on knee joint kinematics
- J Biomech 44(15):2595-2600 (2011)
This paper compares geometry-based knee axes of rotation (transepicondylar axis and geometric center axis) and motion-based functional knee axes of rotation (fAoR). Two algorithms are evaluated to calculate fAoRs: Gamage and Lasenby's sphere fitting algorithm (GL) and Ehrig et al.'s axis transformation algorithm (SARA). Calculations are based on 3D motion data acquired during isokinetic dynamometry. AoRs are validated with the equivalent axis based on static MR-images. We quantified the difference in orientation between two knee axes of rotation as the angle between the projection of the axes in the transversal and frontal planes, and the difference in location as the distance between the intersection points of the axes with the sagittal plane. Maximum differences between fAoRs resulting from GL and SARA were 5.7° and 15.4 mm, respectively. Maximum differences between fAoRs resulting from GL or SARA and the equivalent axis were 5.4°/11.5 mm and 8.6°/12.8 mm, respect! ively. Differences between geometry-based axes and EA are larger than differences between fAoR and EA both in orientation (maximum 10.6°).and location (maximum 20.8 mm). Knee joint angle trajectories and the corresponding accelerations for the different knee axes of rotation were estimated using Kalman smoothing. For the joint angles, the maximum RMS difference with the MRI-based equivalent axis, which was used as a reference, was 3°. For the knee joint accelerations, the maximum RMS difference with the equivalent axis was 20°/s2. Functional knee axes of rotation describe knee motion better than geometry-based axes. GL performs better than SARA for calculations based on experimental dynamometry. - Percutaneous osseointegrated prostheses for amputees: Limb compensation in a 12-month ovine model
- J Biomech 44(15):2601-2606 (2011)
Percutaneous osseointegrated prostheses are being investigated as an alternative strategy to attach prosthetic limbs to patients. Although the use of these implants has shown to be promising in clinical trials, the ability to maintain a skin seal around an osseointegrated implant interface is a major challenge to prevent superficial and deep periprosthetic infections. The specific aim of this study was to establish a translational load-bearing ovine model to assess postoperative limb compensation and gait symmetry following a percutaneous osseointegrated implant. We tested the following hypotheses: (1) the animals would return to pre-amputation limb loads within 12-months; (2) the animals would return to a symmetrical gait pattern (stride length and time in stance) within 12-months. The results demonstrated that one month following surgery, the sheep loaded their amputated limb to a mean value of nearly 80% of their pre-amputation loading condition; by 12-months, this mean had dropped to approximately 74%. There was no statistical differences between the symmetry of the amputated forelimb and the contralateral forelimb at any time point for the animals stride length or the time spent in the stance phase of their gait cycle. Thus, the data showed that while the animals maintained symmetric gait patterns, they did not return to full weight-bearing after 12-months. The results of this study showed that a large animal load-bearing model had a symmetric gait and was weight bearing for up to 12 months. While the current investigation utilizes an ovine model, the data show that osseointegrated implant technology with postoperative follow-up can help our human patients return to symmetric gait and maintain an active lifestyle, leading to an improvement in their! quality of life following amputation. - Limits of recovery against slip-induced falls while walking
- J Biomech 44(15):2607-2613 (2011)
Slip-induced falls in gait often have devastating consequences. The purposes of this study were 1) to select the determinants that can best discriminate the outcomes (recoveries or falls) of an unannounced slip induced in gait (and to find their corresponding threshold, i.e., the limits of recovery, which can clearly separate these two outcomes), and 2) to verify these results in a subset of repeated-slip trials. Based on the data collected from 69 young subjects during a slip induced in gait, nine different ways of combining the center of mass (COM) stability, the hip height, and its vertical velocity were investigated with the aid of logistic regression. The results revealed that the COM stability (s) and limb support (represented by the quotient of hip vertical velocity to hip height, Ship) recorded at the instant immediately prior to the recovery step touchdown were sufficiently sensitive to account for all (100%) variance in falls, and specific enough to account f! or nearly all (98.3%) variability in recoveries. This boundary (Ship=−0.22s−0.25), which quantifies the risk of falls in the stability–limb support quotient (s–Ship) domain, was fully verified using second-slip and third-slip trials (n=76) with classification of falls at 100% and recoveries at 98.6%. The severity of an actual fall is likely to be greater further below the boundary, while the likelihood of a fall diminishes above it. Finally, the slope of the boundary also indicates the tradeoff between the stability and limb support, whereby high stability can compensate for the insufficiency in limb support, or vice versa. - The effects of stenosis severity on the hemodynamic parametersâ€"assessment of the correlation between stress phase angle and wall shear stress
- J Biomech 44(15):2614-2626 (2011)
To study the effects of increase in the degree of stenosis severity and subsequent complexity of hemodynamic patterns on hemodynamic parameters, experimental investigations and numerical simulations were performed. The correlations between the large negative Stress Phase Angle (SPA), the low mean Wall Shear Stress (WSS) and high Oscillatory Shear Index (OSI) were investigated at the distal shoulder and post-stenotic regions as the outcomes of elevated stenosis severity. Models included non-Newtonian fluid flow in stenotic arteries with 30–80% symmetrical stenoses. To study the interactions between pulsatile WSS and pulsatile wall circumferential stress (WCS) acting on endothelial cells, SPA as the phase difference between WSS and WCS waves was used. Moreover, the distribution of SPA on the lumen axis was compared to the distributions of the mean WSS and OSI that have been regarded until now as the determinants of atherosclerosis-prone regions. Results indicate that a! n increase in stenosis severity, not only affects the mean WSS, mean WCS and pulse amplitudes, but also influences the phase difference between them. The SPA is large negative on the distal shoulder and post-stenotic areas where atherosclerotic plaque develops. The increasing stenosis severity and the subsequent increasing complexity of hemodynamic patterns affect the correlation between any of the low mean WSS and high OSI with large negative SPA, such that it not only leads to create and develop some regions where the correlation between any of the low mean WSS and high OSI with large negative SPA is well but also leads to create and develop other regions where such correlations fail. - The effects of pad geometry and material properties on the biomechanical effectiveness of 26 commercially available hip protectors
- J Biomech 44(15):2627-2635 (2011)
Wearable hip protectors (padded garments) represent a promising strategy to decrease impact force and hip fracture risk during falls, and a wide range of products are currently marketed. However, little is known about how design features of hip protectors influence biomechanical effectiveness. We used a mechanical test system (simulating sideways falls) to measure the attenuation in femoral neck force provided by 26 commercially available hip protectors at three impact velocities (2, 3, and 4 m/s). We also used a materials testing machine to characterize the force–deflection properties of each device. Regression analyses were performed to determine which geometric (e.g., height, width, thickness, volume) and force–deflection properties were associated with force attenuation. At an impact velocity of 3 m/s, the force attenuation provided by the various hip protectors ranged between 2.5% and 40%. Hip protectors with lower stiffness (measured at 500 N) provided greate! r force attenuation at all velocities. Protectors that absorbed more energy demonstrated greater force attenuation at the higher impact velocities (3 and 4 m/s conditions), while protectors that did not directly contact (but instead bridged) the skin overlying the greater trochanter attenuated more force at velocities of 2 and 3 m/s. At these lower velocities, the force attenuation provided by protectors that contacted the skin overlying the greater trochanter increased with increasing pad width, thickness, and energy dissipation. By providing a comparison of the protective value of a large range of existing hip protectors, these results can help to guide consumers and researchers in selecting hip protectors, and in interpreting the results of previous clinical trials. Furthermore, by determining geometric and material parameters that influence biomechanical performance, our results should assist manufacturers in designing devices that offer improved performance and clinica! l effectiveness. - Determination of dynamic ankle ligament strains from a computational model driven by motion analysis based kinematic data
- J Biomech 44(15):2636-2641 (2011)
External rotation of the foot has been implicated in high ankle sprains. Recent studies by this laboratory, and others, have suggested that torsional traction characteristics of the shoe–surface interface may play a role in ankle injury. While ankle injuries most often involve damage to ligaments due to excessive strains, the studies conducted by this laboratory and others have largely used surrogate models of the lower extremity to determine shoe–surface interface characteristics based on torque measures alone. The objective of this study was to develop a methodology that would integrate a motion analysis-based kinematic foot model with a computational model of the ankle to determine dynamic ankle ligament strains during external foot rotation. Six subjects performed single-legged, internal rotation of the body with a planted foot while a marker-based motion analysis was conducted to track the hindfoot motion relative to the tibia. These kinematic data were used t! o drive an established computational ankle model. Ankle ligament strains, as a function of time, were determined. The anterior tibiofibular ligament (ATiFL) experienced the highest strain at 9.2±1.1%, followed by the anterior deltoid ligament (ADL) at 7.8±0.7%, averaged over the six subjects. The peak ATiFL strain occurred prior to peak strain in the ADL in all subjects. This novel methodology may provide new insights into mechanisms of high ankle sprains and offer a basis for future evaluations of shoe–surface interface characteristics using human subjects rather than mechanical surrogate devices. - Probing compressibility of the nuclear interior in wild-type and lamin deficient cells using microscopic imaging and computational modeling
- J Biomech 44(15):2642-2648 (2011)
Mechanical properties of the cell nucleus play an important role in maintaining the integrity of the genome and controlling the cellular force balance. Irregularities in these properties have been related to disruption of a variety of force-dependent processes in the cell, such as migration, division, growth or differentiation. Characterizing mechanical properties of the cell nucleus in situ and relating these parameters to cellular phenotypes remain challenging tasks, as conventional micromanipulation techniques do not allow direct probing of intracellular structures. Here, we present a framework based on light microscopic imaging and automated mechanical modeling that enables characterization of the compressibility of the nuclear interior in situ. Based entirely on optical methods, our approach does not require application of destructive or contacting techniques and it enables measurements of a significantly larger number of cells. Compressibility, in this paper repr! esented by Poisson's ratio ν, is determined by fitting a numerical model to experimentally observed time series of microscopic images of fluorescent cell nuclei in which bleached patterns are introduced. In a proof-of-principle study, this framework was applied to estimate ν in wild type cells and cells lacking important structural proteins of the nuclear envelope (LMNA−/−). Based on measurements of a large number of cells, our study revealed distinctive changes in compressibility of the nuclear interior between these two cell types. Our method allows an automated, contact-free estimation of mechanical properties of intracellular structures. Combined with knockdown and overexpression screens, it paves the way towards a high-throughput measurement of intracellular mechanical properties in functional phenotyping screens. - Pressure oscillation delivery to the lung: Computer simulation of neonatal breathing parameters
- J Biomech 44(15):2649-2658 (2011)
Preterm newborn infants may develop respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) due to functional and structural immaturity. A lack of surfactant promotes collapse of alveolar regions and airways such that newborns with RDS are subject to increased inspiratory effort and non-homogeneous ventilation. Pressure oscillation has been incorporated into one form of RDS treatment; however, how far it reaches various parts of the lung is still questionable. Since in-vivo measurement is very difficult if not impossible, mathematical modeling may be used as one way of assessment. Whereas many models of the respiratory system have been developed for adults, the neonatal lung remains essentially ill-described in mathematical models. A mathematical model is developed, which represents the first few generations of the tracheo-bronchial tree and the 5 lobes that make up the premature ovine lung. The elements of the model are derived using the lumped parameter approach and formulated in Simuli! nk™ within the Matlab™ environment. The respiratory parameters at the airway opening compare well with those measured from experiments. The model demonstrates the ability to predict pressures, flows and volumes in the alveolar regions of a premature ovine lung. - Age-related differences in the morphology of microdamage propagation in trabecular bone
- J Biomech 44(15):2659-2666 (2011)
Microdamage density has been shown to increase with age in trabecular bone and is associated with decreased fracture toughness. Numerous studies of crack propagation in cortical bone have been conducted, but data in trabecular bone is lacking. In this study, propagation of severe, linear, and diffuse damage was examined in trabecular bone cores from the femoral head of younger (61.3±3.1 years) and older (75.0±3.9 years) men and women. Using a two-step mechanical testing protocol, damage was first initiated with static uniaxial compression to 0.8% strain then propagated at a normalized stress level of 0.005 to a strain endpoint of 0.8%. Coupling mechanical testing with a dual-fluorescent staining technique, the number and length/area of propagating cracks were quantified. It was found that the number of cycles to the test endpoint was substantially decreased in older compared to younger samples (younger: 77,372±15,984 cycles; older: 34,944±11,964 cycles, p=0.06). Th! is corresponded with a greater number of severely damaged trabeculae expanding in area during the fatigue test in the older group. In the younger group, diffusely damaged trabeculae had a greater damage area, which illustrates an efficient energy dissipation mechanism. These results suggest that age-related differences in fatigue life of human trabecular bone may be due to differences in propagated microdamage morphology. - Stress distributions and material properties determined in articular cartilage from MRI-based finite strains
- J Biomech 44(15):2667-2672 (2011)
The noninvasive measurement of finite strains in biomaterials and tissues by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables mathematical estimates of stress distributions and material properties. Such methods allow for non-contact and patient-specific modeling in a manner not possible with traditional mechanical testing or finite element techniques. Here, we employed three constitutive (i.e. linear Hookean, and nonlinear Neo-Hookean and Mooney–Rivlin) relations with known loading conditions and MRI-based finite strains to estimate stress patterns and material properties in the articular cartilage of tibiofemoral joints. Displacement-encoded MRI was used to determine two-dimensional finite strains in juvenile porcine joints, and an iterative technique estimated stress distributions and material properties with defined constitutive relations. Stress distributions were consistent across all relations, although the stress magnitudes varied. Material properties for femoral and ! tibial cartilage were found to be consistent with those reported in literature. Further, the stress estimates from Hookean and Neo-Hookean, but not Mooney-Rivlin, relations agreed with finite element-based simulations. A nonlinear Neo-Hookean relation provided the most appropriate model for the characterization of complex and spatially dependent stresses using two-dimensional MRI-based finite strain. These results demonstrate the feasibility of a new and computationally efficient technique incorporating MRI-based deformation with mathematical modeling to non-invasively evaluate the mechanical behavior of biological tissues and materials. - Head impact exposure in collegiate football players
- J Biomech 44(15):2673-2678 (2011)
In American football, impacts to the helmet and the resulting head accelerations are the primary cause of concussion injury and potentially chronic brain injury. The purpose of this study was to quantify exposures to impacts to the head (frequency, location and magnitude) for individual collegiate football players and to investigate differences in head impact exposure by player position. A total of 314 players were enrolled at three institutions and 286,636 head impacts were recorded over three seasons. The 95th percentile peak linear and rotational acceleration and HITsp (a composite severity measure) were 62.7 g, 4378 rad/s2 and 32.6, respectively. These exposure measures as well as the frequency of impacts varied significantly by player position and by helmet impact location. Running backs (RB) and quarter backs (QB) received the greatest magnitude head impacts, while defensive line (DL), offensive line (OL) and line backers (LB) received the most frequent head impa! cts (more than twice as many than any other position). Impacts to the top of the helmet had the lowest peak rotational acceleration (2387 rad/s2), but the greatest peak linear acceleration (72.4 g), and were the least frequent of all locations (13.7%) among all positions. OL and QB had the highest (49.2%) and the lowest (23.7%) frequency, respectively, of front impacts. QB received the greatest magnitude (70.8 g and 5428 rad/s2) and the most frequent (44% and 38.9%) impacts to the back of the helmet. This study quantified head impact exposure in collegiate football, providing data that is critical to advancing the understanding of the biomechanics of concussive injuries and sub-concussive head impacts. - Effects of ramp negotiation, paving type and shoe sole geometry on toe clearance in young adults
- J Biomech 44(15):2679-2684 (2011)
Trips are a major cause of falls and result from involuntary contact of the foot with the ground during the swing phase of gait. Adequate toe clearance during swing is therefore crucial for safe locomotion. To date, little is known about the effects of environmental factors and footwear on toe clearance. This study reports on modulation of toe clearance and toe clearance variability in response to changes in ground inclination, paving type, and shoe sole geometry. Toe clearance and toe clearance variability for ten healthy young adults were calculated two-fold: a) for the commonly-used position on the foremost part of the sole of the shoe and b) for the lowest of a total of 7 sole positions, located between the metatarsals and the toe tip across the entire width of the sole. Utilizing a full-factorial design we found that toe clearance was affected by ground inclination, paving type, and sole geometry regardless of the computational method used (with p-values<0.01) but! the use of the foremost part of the sole for toe clearance calculation results is an overestimation of this value. Our findings highlight the importance of considering footwear and environmental factors when assessing the risk of tripping. Future work needs to investigate to which extent the same factors affect toe clearance in more vulnerable parts of the population. - Biomechanical wall properties of human intracranial aneurysms resected following surgical clipping (IRRAs Project)
- J Biomech 44(15):2685-2691 (2011)
Background and purpose Individual rupture risk assessment of intracranial aneurysms is a major issue in the clinical management of asymptomatic aneurysms. Aneurysm rupture occurs when wall tension exceeds the strength limit of the wall tissue. At present, aneurysmal wall mechanics are poorly understood and thus, risk assessment involving mechanical properties is inexistent. Aneurysm computational hemodynamics studies make the assumption of rigid walls, an arguable simplification. We therefore aim to assess mechanical properties of ruptured and unruptured intracranial aneurysms in order to provide the foundation for future patient-specific aneurysmal risk assessment. This work also challenges some of the currently held hypotheses in computational flow hemodynamics research. Methods A specific conservation protocol was applied to aneurysmal tissues following clipping and resection in order to preserve their mechanical properties. Sixteen intracranial aneurysms (11 female, 5 male) underwent mechanical uniaxial stress tests under physiological conditions, temperature, and saline isotonic solution. These represented 11 unruptured and 5 ruptured aneurysms. Stress/strain curves were then obtained for each sample, and a fitting algorithm was applied following a 3-parameter (C10, C01, C11) Mooney–Rivlin hyperelastic model. Each aneurysm was classified according to its biomechanical properties and (un)rupture status. Results Tissue testing demonstrated three main tissue classes: Soft, Rigid, and Intermediate. All unruptured aneurysms presented a more Rigid tissue than ruptured or pre-ruptured aneurysms within each gender subgroup. Wall thickness was not correlated to aneurysmal status (ruptured/unruptured). An Intermediate subgroup of unruptured aneurysms with softer tissue characteristic was identified and correlated with multiple documented risk factors of rupture. Conclusion There is a significant modification in biomechanical properties between ruptured aneurysm, presenting a soft tissue and unruptured aneurysms, presenting a rigid material. This finding strongly supports the idea that a biomechanical risk factor based assessment should be utilized in the to improve the therapeutic decision making. - Altered osteogenic commitment of human mesenchymal stem cells by ERM protein-dependent modulation of cellular biomechanics
- J Biomech 44(15):2692-2698 (2011)
Cellular mechanics is known to play an important role in many cellular functions including adhesion, migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) demonstrate unique mechanical properties distinct from fully differentiated cells. This observation suggests that the stem cell mechanics may be modulated to regulate the hMSCs' lineage commitment. Specifically, ERM (ezrin, radixin, moesin) proteins are known to mediate the membrane–cytoskeleton adhesion, cell elasticity, actin cytoskeleton organization, and therefore could serve as potential targets for modulation of the cellular mechanics. Combining silencing RNA, atomic force microscopy, and laser optical tweezers, the role of the ERM proteins involved in the regulation of stem cell biomechanics and osteogenic differentiation was quantitatively determined. Transient ERM knockdown by RNAi causes disassembly of actin stress fibers and focal adhesions, a decrease in the cell stiffness,! and membrane separation from the cytoskeleton. The silencing RNA treatment not only induced mechanical changes in stem cells but impaired biochemically-directed osteogenic differentiation. The intact actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesions of hMSCs appear critical for the osteogenic induction. Thus, ERM knockdown modulates the dynamics of cell mechanical changes during hMSC differentiation and regulates the expression of tissue specific molecular markers. These findings are of particular interest for modulation of the cellular biomechanics to control hMSCs' activities and fate in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and other stem cell-based therapeutic applications. - Heterogeneous response of traction force at focal adhesions of vascular smooth muscle cells subjected to macroscopic stretch on a micropillar substrate
- J Biomech 44(15):2699-2705 (2011)
Traction force generated at focal adhesions (FAs) of cells plays an essential role in regulating cellular functions. However, little is known about how the traction force at each FA changes during cell stretching. Here we investigated dynamic changes in traction force at FAs during macroscopic stretching of porcine aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) cultured on elastic micropillar substrates. SMCs were cultured on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based substrates with a micropillar array, and stretched approximately in the direction of their major axis and then released by stretching and relaxing the substrates. This stretch–release cycle was repeated twice with cell strain rates of 0.3%/15 s up to a 3% strain, and the deflection of the PDMS micropillars was measured simultaneously to obtain the traction force at each FA F, total force in the cell's major axis direction Fall, and whole-cell strain εcell. Traction forces of SMCs during stretching varied widely with locat! ion: their changes at some pillars synchronized well with the applied strain εcell, but others did not synchronized. Whole-cell stiffness estimated as the slope of the loading limb of the Fall–εcell curves was ∼10 nN/%, which was the same order of magnitude of the reported stiffness of cultured SMCs obtained in a tensile test. Interestingly, Fall at a zero-strain state (pretension at the whole-cell level) actively increased in some cells following the loading/unloading process, as did whole-cell stiffness. Such a change did not occur in cultured SMCs in the tensile test in which cells were held with a pair of micropipettes coated with nonspecific adhesive. These results indicate that SMCs showed a myogenic response when stretched through their multiple FAs, but not through nonspecific adhesions on their membrane. SMCs may behave differently depending on the sites through which they are stretched. - A comparison of Coulomb and pseudo-Coulomb friction implementations: Application to the table contact phase of gymnastics vaulting
- J Biomech 44(15):2706-2711 (2011)
In the table contact phase of gymnastics vaulting both dynamic and static friction act. The purpose of this study was to develop a method of simulating Coulomb friction that incorporated both dynamic and static phases and to compare the results with those obtained using a pseudo-Coulomb implementation of friction when applied to the table contact phase of gymnastics vaulting. Kinematic data were obtained from an elite level gymnast performing handspring straight somersault vaults using a Vicon optoelectronic motion capture system. An angle-driven computer model of vaulting that simulated the interaction between a seven segment gymnast and a single segment vaulting table during the table contact phase of the vault was developed. Both dynamic and static friction were incorporated within the model by switching between two implementations of the tangential frictional force. Two vaulting trials were used to determine the model parameters using a genetic algorithm to match s! imulations to recorded performances. A third independent trial was used to evaluate the model and close agreement was found between the simulation and the recorded performance with an overall difference of 13.5%. The two-state simulation model was found to be capable of replicating performance at take-off and also of replicating key contact phase features such as the normal and tangential motion of the hands. The results of the two-state model were compared to those using a pseudo-Coulomb friction implementation within the simulation model. The two-state model achieved similar overall results to those of the pseudo-Coulomb model but obtained solutions more rapidly. - Ambulatory measurement of ankle kinetics for clinical applications
- J Biomech 44(15):2712-2718 (2011)
This study aimed to design and validate the measurement of ankle kinetics (force, moment, and power) during consecutive gait cycles and in the field using an ambulatory system. An ambulatory system consisting of plantar pressure insole and inertial sensors (3D gyroscopes and 3D accelerometers) on foot and shank was used. To test this system, 12 patients and 10 healthy elderly subjects wore shoes embedding this system and walked many times across a gait lab including a force-plate surrounded by seven cameras considered as the reference system. Then, the participants walked two 50-meter trials where only the ambulatory system was used. Ankle force components and sagittal moment of ankle measured by ambulatory system showed correlation coefficient (R) and normalized RMS error (NRMSE) of more than 0.94 and less than 13% in comparison with the references system for both patients and healthy subjects. Transverse moment of ankle and ankle power showed R>0.85 and NRMSE<23%. These parameters also showed high repeatability (CMC>0.7). In contrast, the ankle coronal moment of ankle demonstrated high error and lower repeatability. Except for ankle coronal moment, the kinetic features obtained by the ambulatory system could distinguish the patients with ankle osteoarthritis from healthy subjects when measured in 50-meter trials. The proposed ambulatory system can be easily accessible in most clinics and could assess main ankle kinetics quantities with acceptable error and repeatability for clinical evaluations. This system is therefore suggested for field measurement in clinical applications. - Effect of fatigue on force production and force application technique during repeated sprints
- J Biomech 44(15):2719-2723 (2011)
We investigated the changes in the technical ability of force application/orientation against the ground vs. the physical capability of total force production after a multiple-set repeated sprints series. Twelve male physical education students familiar with sprint running performed four sets of five 6-s sprints (24 s of passive rest between sprints, 3 min between sets). Sprints were performed from a standing start on an instrumented treadmill, allowing the computation of vertical (FV), net horizontal (FH) and total (FTot) ground reaction forces for each step. Furthermore, the ratio of forces was calculated as RF=FHFTot−1, and the index of force application technique (DRF) representing the decrement in RF with increase in speed was computed as the slope of the linear RF-speed relationship. Changes between pre- (first two sprints) and post-fatigue (last two sprints) were tested using paired t-tests. Performance decreased significantly (e.g. top speed decreased by 15.7! ±5.4%; P<0.001), and all the mechanical variables tested significantly changed. FH showed the largest decrease, compared to FV and FTot. DRF significantly decreased (P<0.001, effect size=1.20), and the individual magnitudes of change of DRF were significantly more important than those of FTot (19.2±20.9 vs. 5.81±5.76%, respectively; P<0.01). During a multiple-set repeated sprint series, both the total force production capability and the technical ability to apply force effectively against the ground are altered, the latter to a larger extent than the former. - The robustness and accuracy of in vivo linear wear measurements for knee prostheses based on model-based RSA
- J Biomech 44(15):2724-2727 (2011)
Accurate in vivo measurements methods of wear in total knee arthroplasty are required for a timely detection of excessive wear and to assess new implant designs. Component separation measurements based on model-based Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA), in which 3-dimensional reconstruction methods are used, have shown promising results, yet the robustness of these measurements is unknown. In this study, the accuracy and robustness of this measurement for clinical usage was assessed. The validation experiments were conducted in an RSA setup with a phantom setup of a knee in a vertical orientation. 72 RSA images were created using different variables for knee orientations, two prosthesis types (fixed-bearing Duracon knee and fixed-bearing Triathlon knee) and accuracies of the reconstruction models. The measurement error was determined for absolute and relative measurements and the effect of knee positioning and true seperation distance was determined. The meas! urement method overestimated the separation distance with 0.1 mm on average. The precision of the method was 0.10 mm (2竅惨D) for the Duracon prosthesis and 0.20 mm for the Triathlon prosthesis. A slight difference in error was found between the measurements with 0° and 10° anterior tilt. (difference=0.08 mm, p=0.04). The accuracy of 0.1 mm and precision of 0.2 mm can be achieved for linear wear measurements based on model-based RSA, which is more than adequate for clinical applications. The measurement is robust in clinical settings. Although anterior tilt seems to influence the measurement, the size of this influence is low and clinically irrelevant. - Determining the optimal system-specific cut-off frequencies for filtering in-vitro upper extremity impact force and acceleration data by residual analysis
- J Biomech 44(15):2728-2731 (2011)
The fundamental nature of impact testing requires a cautious approach to signal processing, to minimize noise while preserving important signal information. However, few recommendations exist regarding the most suitable filter frequency cut-offs to achieve these goals. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation is twofold: to illustrate how residual analysis can be utilized to quantify optimal system-specific filter cut-off frequencies for force, moment, and acceleration data resulting from in-vitro upper extremity impacts, and to show how optimal cut-off frequencies can vary based on impact condition intensity. Eight human cadaver radii specimens were impacted with a pneumatic impact testing device at impact energies that increased from 20 J, in 10 J increments, until fracture occurred. The optimal filter cut-off frequency for pre-fracture and fracture trials was determined with a residual analysis performed on all force and acceleration waveforms. Force and acceler! ation data were filtered with a dual pass, 4th order Butterworth filter at each of 14 different cut-off values ranging from 60 Hz to 1500 Hz. Mean (SD) pre-fracture and fracture optimal cut-off frequencies for the force variables were 605.8 (82.7) Hz and 513.9 (79.5) Hz, respectively. Differences in the optimal cut-off frequency were also found between signals (e.g. Fx (medial–lateral), Fy (superior–inferior), Fz (anterior–posterior)) within the same test. These optimal cut-off frequencies do not universally agree with the recommendations of filtering all upper extremity impact data using a cut-off frequency of 600 Hz. This highlights the importance of quantifying the filter frequency cut-offs specific to the instrumentation and experimental set-up. Improper digital filtering may lead to erroneous results and a lack of standardized approaches makes it difficult to compare findings of in-vitro dynamic testing between laboratories. - The effects of bone and pore volume fraction on the mechanical properties of PMMA/bone biopsies extracted from augmented vertebrae
- J Biomech 44(15):2732-2736 (2011)
Vertebroplasty forms a porous PMMA/bone composite which was shown to be weaker and less stiff than pure PMMA. It is not known what determines the mechanical properties of such composites in detail. This study investigated the effects of bone volume fraction (BV/TV), cement porosity (PV/(TV-BV), PV…pore volume) and cement stiffness. Nine human vertebral bodies were augmented with either standard or low-modulus PMMA cement and scanned with a HR-pQCT system before and after augmentation. Fourteen cylindrical PMMA/bone biopsies were extracted from the augmented region, scanned with a micro-CT system and tested in compression until failure. Micro-finite element (FE) models of the complete biopsies, of the trabecular bone alone as well as of the porous cement alone were generated from CT images to gain more insight into the role of bone and pores. PV/(TV–BV) and experimental moduli of standard/low-modulus cement (R2=0.91/0.98) as well as PV/(TV–BV) and yield stresses (! R2=0.92/0.83) were highly correlated. No correlation between BV/TV (ranging from 0.057 to 0.138) and elastic moduli was observed (R2< 0.05). Interestingly, the micro-FE models of the porous cement alone reproduced the experimental elastic moduli of the standard/low-modulus cement biopsies (R2=0.75/0.76) more accurately than the models with bone (R2=0.58/0.31). In conclusion, the mechanical properties of the biopsies were mainly determined by the cement porosity and the cement material properties. The study showed that bone tissue inside the biopsies was mechanically "switched off" such that load was carried essentially by the porous PMMA.
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