Clinical biomechanics
-
Clinical biomechanics · Aug 2015
The effects of movement speed on kinematic variability and dynamic stability of the trunk in healthy individuals and low back pain patients.
Comparison of the kinematic variability and dynamic stability of the trunk between healthy and low back pain patient groups can contribute to gaining valuable information about the movement patterns and neuromotor strategies involved in various movement tasks. ⋯ Our findings suggest that slower pace flexion-extension trunk movements are associated with more motor variation as well as local and orbital stability, implying less potential risk of injury for the trunk. Individuals with and without low back pain consistently recruited a closed-loop control strategy towards achieving trunk stability. Chronic low back pain patients exhibited more stable trunk movements over long-term periods, indicating probable temporary pain relief functional adaption strategies. These results may be used towards the development of more effective personalized rehabilitation strategies and quantitative spinal analysis tools for low back pain detection, diagnosis and treatment, as well as improvement of workspace and occupational settings.
-
Clinical biomechanics · Aug 2015
Posterior tibial slope and femoral sizing affect posterior cruciate ligament tension in posterior cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty.
During cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty, surgeons sometimes encounter increased tension of the posterior cruciate ligament. This study investigated the effects of femoral size, posterior tibial slope, and rotational alignment of the femoral and tibial components on forces at the posterior cruciate ligament in cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty using a musculoskeletal computer simulation. ⋯ These findings suggest that accurate sizing and bone preparation are very important to maintain posterior cruciate ligament forces in cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty. Care should also be taken regarding malrotation of the femoral and tibial components because this increases posterior cruciate ligament tension.