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Hamstring
Strength
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Mechanical
Design
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Step Rate
Modification
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Ultrasound
Elastography
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Computational
Modeling
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Dynamic
MRI of Knee
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Muscle Function
during Gait
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Hamstring Strength Deficits Following Hamstring Strain
Hamstring re-injury rates can be as high as 30% in running related sports. With most re-injuries occurring within the initial two weeks following return to sport (RTS); incomplete recovery of strength following the acute hamstring strain may be a contributing factor. The extent of strength recovery and morphological changes at the time of RTS is currently unknown. Our research goal is to characterize hamstring strength at the time of RTS and six months after RTS.(Learn More)
Mechanical Design of Devices and Phantoms
One aspect of our research is the mechanical design of devices and phantoms. Mechanical devices that we have designed include the magnetic resonance (MR) compatible knee loading device, and the cyclic ankle loading device, both built to induce physiologically realistic inertial loads for computational imaging. The MR compatible phantom was built to mimic the motion of the knee joint and validate our MR data processing.
Step Rate Modification during Running
It is expected that approximately 56% of recreational runners will sustain a running-related injury each year, with 42% of all injuries occurring at the knee. Although many risk factors have been identified, excessive knee joint loading has been identified as one of the most common when predicting the occurrence of injury. In attempts to reduce the amount of energy absorbed in the lower extremity joints, our lab is analyzing the effects of increasing a runner's step rate. (Learn More)
Ultrasound Elastography of Musculoskeletal Tissue
The goal of this study is to noninvasively evaluate the mechanical properties of tendinous tissue. We have developed an elastography method that can determine regional variations to assess abnormalities in tissue properties as well as identify regions of possible injury. (Learn More)
Electrical Stimulation to Determine Muscle Function in Gait
The goal of this study is to use electrical stimulation to increase muscle activation during walking in order to determine contributions of specific muscles to gait kinetics and kinematics. We are currently focusing on the function of the triceps surae muscle group in the calf. This project will allow better understanding of muscle function in healthy adults and help to validate and/or correct computational models of human walking. (Learn More)
Integrating Multibody Dynamics and Computational Modeling
The purpose of this project is to develop and validate a computational knee model from MRI. The goal is to use this model to simulate ACL reconstructions and predict resulting gait patterns. This will help to optimize surgical techniques and minimize the risk for osteoarthritis development in the long-run. (Learn More)
Dynamic MRI to Assess Functional Musculoskeletal Mechanics
While successful at characterizing anatomy and morphology, static MRI does not lend insight into system performance under the dynamic loads experienced during functional activities. We are currently developing new dynamic imaging tools that can visualize and quantify musculoskeletal tissues during functionally loaded tasks. Our first study will be examining how knee kinematics change after ACL reconstruction.
