Journal of biomechanics
-
Journal of biomechanics · Feb 2013
Sensitivity, reliability and accuracy of the instant center of rotation calculation in the cervical spine during in vivo dynamic flexion-extension.
The instant center of rotation (ICR) has been proposed as an alternative to range of motion (ROM) for evaluating the quality, rather than the quantity, of cervical spine movement. The purpose of the present study was to assess the sensitivity, reliability and accuracy of cervical spine ICR path calculations obtained during dynamic in vivo movement. The reliability and sensitivity of in vivo cervical spine ICR calculations were assessed by evaluating the effects of movement direction (flexion versus extension), rotation step size, filter frequency, and motion tracking error. ⋯ In vivo, the path of the ICR can reliably be characterized within 0.5mm in the SI and 1.0mm in the AP direction. The inter-subject variability in ICR location averaged ±1.2mm in the SI direction and ±2.2mm in the AP direction. The computational experiment estimated the in vivo accuracy in ICR location was between 1.1mm and 3.1mm.
-
Journal of biomechanics · Feb 2013
Clinical and statistical correlation of various lumbar pathological conditions.
Current clinical evaluations often rely on static anatomic imaging modalities for diagnosis of mechanical low back pain, which provide anatomic snapshots and a surrogate analysis of a functional disease. Three dimensional in vivo motion is available with the use of digital fluoroscopy, which was used to capture kinematic data of the lumbar spine in order to identify coefficients of motion that may assist the physician in differentiating patient pathology. Forty patients distributed among 4 classes of lumbar degeneration, from healthy to degenerative, underwent CT, MRI, and digital x-ray fluoroscopy. ⋯ The classifier achieved 95% sensitivity and specificity using (C(FE), C(LB), ROM(LB)) as input features, and 40% specificity and 80% sensitivity using ROM variables. The new coefficients were better correlated with patient pathology than ROM measures. The coefficients suggest a relationship between pathology and measured motion which has not been reported previously.
-
Journal of biomechanics · Feb 2013
Altering prosthetic foot stiffness influences foot and muscle function during below-knee amputee walking: a modeling and simulation analysis.
Most prosthetic feet are designed to improve amputee gait by storing and releasing elastic energy during stance. However, how prosthetic foot stiffness influences muscle and foot function is unclear. Identifying these relationships would provide quantitative rationale for prosthetic foot prescription that may lead to improved amputee gait. ⋯ During the first half of stance, the residual leg hamstrings provided decreased support and increased propulsion. During the second half of stance, the intact leg vasti provided increased support and the residual leg rectus femoris transferred increased energy from the leg to the trunk for propulsion. These results highlight the influence prosthetic foot stiffness has on muscle and foot function throughout the gait cycle and may aid in prescribing feet of appropriate stiffness.
-
Journal of biomechanics · Feb 2013
Effects of exercise-induced low back pain on intrinsic trunk stiffness and paraspinal muscle reflexes.
The purpose of this study was to (1) compare trunk neuromuscular behavior between individuals with no history of low back pain (LBP) and individuals who experience exercise-induced LBP (eiLBP) when pain free, and (2) investigate changes in trunk neuromuscular behavior with eiLBP. Seventeen young adult males participated including eight reporting recurrent, acute eiLBP and nine control participants reporting no history of LBP. Intrinsic trunk stiffness and paraspinal muscle reflex delay were determined in both groups using sudden trunk flexion position perturbations 1-2 days following exercise when the eiLBP participants were experiencing an episode of LBP (termed post-exercise) and 4-5 days following exercise when eiLBP had subsided (termed post-recovery). ⋯ Trunk stiffness did not change (p=0.826) within the eiLBP group from post-exercise to post-recovery, but decreased 22% within the control group (p=0.002). Reflex delay decreased 11% within the eiLBP group from post-exercise to post-recovery (p=0.013), and increased 15% within the control group (p=0.006). Although the neuromuscular mechanisms associated with eiLBP and chronic LBP may differ, these results suggest that previously-reported differences in trunk neuromuscular behavior between individuals with chronic LBP and healthy controls reflect a combination of inherent differences in neuromuscular behavior between these individuals as well as changes in neuromuscular behavior elicited by pain.