Abstract Archive

Comprehensive documentation of lower extremity muscle forces and patterns in gait is still lacking in literature. Such information may provide valuable baseline data for applications in rehabilitation, exercise, and robotics. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine muscle forces and pa...

The purpose of this study was to examine the strength ratios between limbs, and the muscular performance in paediatric patients with an ACL injury throughout an isokinetic muscular endurance task. Ten paediatric participants completed 44 dynamic maximal flexion/extension repetitions on a Biodex Dyna...

The (re)learning of motor skills relevant to real environments and tools should emphasize the ability to anticipate complex dynamics. In this novel paradigm for unstable interactive sonification (UNISON) participants learned to entrain the dynamics of a chaotic system through their arm movements. Im...

We present a systematic source of error affecting the measurement of optoelectronic stereophogrammetric sys-tems (OSS), hereinafter called the camera occlusion arte-fact (COA). The COA takes place when the view of a mark-er is partially or completely occluded to one or more cam-eras. In these condit...

This project tested a novel method to assess performance in a countermovement jump test (CMJ) using a smartphone held to the hip. The intended use is to assess a person’s force producing capabilities to track general progress in a health intervention. The results showed repeatable correspondence t...

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between lean muscle volume of the thigh, calculated from MRI, and clinical mobility outcomes after accounting for thigh fatty tissue volume in women with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Secondarily, we aimed to quantify the relationship between l...

This project compared the impact attenuation of three short track speed skating (ST) and two ice hockey (IH) helmets models at two impact velocities and four impact locations. The findings were that IH helmets had better linear and rotational acceleration values across all velocities and locations t...

Last decade, a shift towards operative treatment of midshaft clavicular fractures has been observed [1]. Although plate osteosynthesis is supported by scientific evidence, mechanical requirements are absent [2]. The goal of this study was to compare the strength of a commercial and a low-profile pat...

The efficacy of external ankle braces to protect against sudden inversion sprain has yet to be determined, while taking into account the possible placebo effect of brace application. In this controlled study, we assessed kinematics using both actively protecting and placebo braces in subjects with a...

The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of footwear on loading rate and joint kinematics during walking. Nineteen healthy females walked on an instrumented treadmill at 1.3 m/s. Ten strides (10-right, 10-left) were analyzed for two walking conditions (shod, unshod). Loading rate and jo...

One of the main limitation of CT imaging and especially Dynamic CT acquisitions of the lower limb is the unavailability of devices that create weight-bearing (WB). This study aimed to validate a novel device developed for this proposes. 15 healthy subjects performed a series of orthostatic squats, f...

To remain internationally competitive in figure skating, athletes must be able to perform jumps safely. The axel jump has been considered traditionally the most difficult jump and as athletes trains since very young age, it is fundamental to recognize landing techniques rising injury risk. This stud...

In this study, a ten degree-of-freedom, two-legged cyclist and bicycle model was developed and utilized for predictive dynamic simulations of standing starts. Direct collocation optimal control was used to generate the predictive simulation with the goal of maximizing distance travelled over a fixed...

In the lab setting, individuals with lower limb amputation (LLAs) have slower walking speed and cadence than non-amputees. However, these measures only represent a small portion of the person’s mobility during daily life. We collected walking data during the daily lives of LLAs and able-bodied con...

Injuries in aquatic sports are often associated with prolonged fatigue due to repetitive motions. These injuries are often more common in females due to an increased endurance. We calculated rate of change in muscle activation in expert aquatic athletes and controls throughout a fatiguing task. Slop...

Motor units control muscle function and coordination. However, most experimental and modelling motor unit recruitment studies have investigated isometric contractions, which limits its applicability to human movement. We introduce a musculoskeletal simulation framework that reverse engineers the rec...

High tibial osteotomy (HTO) is currently planned based only on radiographs obtained during a static standing position. This study aimed to develop a simulation tool to predict changes in the knee adduction moment (KAM) after a HTO based on the pre-operative data and forward dynamic model simulations...

This study examined how people with unilateral lower limb amputation (LLA) perform a 180⁰ turn both toward and away from their prosthetic side. Results demonstrated that people with LLA perform turns differently than people without amputation, and that individuals with LLA use differing strategies...

It can be difficult for young children to remain focused and avoid fidgeting during postural sway tests of 30 s or longer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the construct and concurrent validity of sway measures recorded for durations less than 30 s. We measured the CoP RMS error of standing...

Individuals with lower limb malalignments may utilize differing movement strategies that are protective of their knees. To test this idea, total support moment distributions were compared between healthy individuals with and without genu valgum malalignment during single-limb forward and lateral dro...

Mouth protectors (i.e. mouthguards) are devices that are used in many sports in an effort to protect orofacial anatomy, in particular teeth, from injury, including impact-induced injury. There is limited biomechanical literature examining the mechanics of these impact-induced injuries. This prelimin...

Closed-loop tactile biofeedback (TBF), delivered during the stance phase of gait, created a change in local dynamic stability in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) while walking. TBF decreased the rate of local divergence compared to baseline and open-loop cueing (metronome), but this effect was...

Bicycle saddle height is implicated in musculoskeletal injuries. A typical goal for setting saddle height is a minimum knee flexion angle of 30-40° during bicycling; yet dynamic analyses are unattainable in most circumstances. This investigation yielded a predictive equation, from inputs such as bi...

This study is in the first year of a four year case study that will quantitatively assess the risk of lower extremity injuries, especially those to the knee. Seven healthy female NCAA soccer players from Valparaiso University were evaluated on their preseason and postseason functional movements. In ...

Recording electromograpy (EMG) signals of deeply located muscles (e.g. iliopsoas) is challenging. The conventional surface and intramuscular EMG recording techniques present potential defects and risks, especially for the patients with pathological tissue close to the measurement site. In this study...

The practice of kinesiology taping has grown in popularity despite the lack of biomechanical evidence of efficacy. This study aimed to evaluate electromyographic activity of the low back during a simple bridge exercise with the hypothesis that there would not be a significant difference in muscle ac...

We examined situational factors associated with the frequency and severity of head impacts in men’s varsity ice hockey, through analysis of 409 head impacts captured through video and helmet-mounted sensors. We found that the most common scenarios were head impact to the glass or hand of an opposi...

Foot stiffness plays an important role in its mechanical function. The medial longitudinal arch (MLA) is thought to be the primary determinant of foot stiffness. Cadaveric studies bisecting the plantar fascia that maintains the MLA found that stiffness decreased by 25% [1,2]. Mathematical and physic...

Surrogates for pronation, such as the longitudinal arch angle (LAA), the rear foot angle (γ), the Achilles tendon angle (β) and the Foot Posture Index (FPI-6), are often quantified. To date, it is unknown whether the FPI-6 is an appropriate proxy for the LAA, γ or β, and also, whether any of the...

An angle-driven computer simulation model of aerial movement was used to determine the maximum amount of twist that can be produced in a reverse 1½ somersault dive from a three-metre springboard using aerial and contact twisting techniques. A limiting dive was identified as that producing the large...