Lower extremity joint power and work during recovery following trip-induced perturbations.

Background: Successful recovery following a perturbation during walking depends on a quick well-coordinated response from the body. As such, lower limb joint power and work provide critical information characterizing the success of the recovery after a perturbation. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate lower-limb joint power and the relative contribution of each joint to the total leg work during the recovery following a trip-induced perturbation.

OpenColab project: OpenSim in Google colaboratory to explore biomechanics on the web.

OpenSim is an open-source biomechanical package with a variety of applications. It is available for many users with bindings in MATLAB, Python, and Java its application programming interfaces (APIs). Although the developers described well the OpenSim installation on different operating systems (Windows, Mac, and Linux), it is time-consuming and complex since each operating system requires a different configuration.

Biomechanical Markers of Forward Hop-Landing After ACL-Reconstruction: A Pattern Recognition Approach.

Biomechanical changes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) may be detrimental to long-term knee-joint health. We used pattern recognition to characterise biomechanical differences during the landing phase of a single-leg forward hop after ACLR. Experimental data from 66 individuals 12-24 months post-ACLR (28.

Biomechanical and cognitive interactions during Visuo Motor Targeting Task.

Background: Biomechanical analyses primarily focus on physical aspects of human movement; however, it is not understood how walking is affected while simultaneously performing a demanding cognitive task - a form of Cognitive-Motor Interference (CMI). CMI occurs when performance of a primary task (e.g.

Patterns of Load-to-Strength Ratios Along the Spine in a Population-Based Cohort to Evaluate the Contribution of Spinal Loading to Vertebral Fractures.

Vertebral fractures (VFx) are common among older adults. Epidemiological studies report high occurrence of VFx at mid-thoracic and thoracolumbar regions of the spine; however, reasons for this observation remain poorly understood. Prior reports of high ratios of spinal loading to vertebral strength in the thoracolumbar region suggest a possible biomechanical explanation.

Antagonist muscle co-contraction during a double-leg landing maneuver at two heights.

Background: Knee injuries are common during landing activities. Greater landing height increases peak ground reaction forces (GRFs) and loading at the knee joint. As major muscles to stabilize the knee joint, Quadriceps and Hamstring muscles provide internal forces to attenuate the excessive GRF.

The effect of leg dominance and landing height on ACL loading among female athletes.

Female athletes are more prone to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. A neuromuscular imbalance called leg dominance may provide a biomechanical explanation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the side-to-side lower limb differences in movement patterns, muscle forces and ACL forces during a single-leg drop-landing task from two different heights.

The Femoral Neck Mechanoresponse to Hip Extensors Exercise: A Case Study.

Physical activity is recommended to prevent age-related bone loss. However, the proximal femur mechanoresponse is variable, possibly because of a muscle-dependant mechanoresponse. We compared the proximal femur response with the femoral strain pattern generated by the hip extensor muscles.

Incorporation of CT-based measurements of trunk anatomy into subject-specific musculoskeletal models of the spine influences vertebral loading predictions.

We created subject-specific musculoskeletal models of the thoracolumbar spine by incorporating spine curvature and muscle morphology measurements from computed tomography (CT) scans to determine the degree to which vertebral compressive and shear loading estimates are sensitive to variations in trunk anatomy. We measured spine curvature and trunk muscle morphology using spine CT scans of 125 men, and then created four different thoracolumbar spine models for each person: (i) height and weight adjusted (Ht/Wt models); (ii) height, weight, and spine curvature adjusted (+C models); (iii) height, weight, and muscle morphology adjusted (+M models); and (iv) height, weight, spine curvature, and muscle morphology adjusted (+CM models). We determined vertebral compressive and shear loading at three regions of the spine (T8, T12, and L3) for four different activities.

The Role of Trunk Musculature in Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures: Implications for Prediction, Prevention, and Management.

This review examines the current evidence for associations between vertebral fractures (VFx), the most common type of fracture in older adults, and trunk muscles, which are intimately tied to spinal loading and function. Individuals with prevalent VFxs have more fat infiltration in the trunk muscles, lower trunk extension strength, and altered muscle activation patterns. However, no longitudinal studies have examined whether assessment of trunk muscle can contribute to prediction of fracture risk.

Restrained tibial rotation may prevent ACL injury during landing at different flexion angles.

Background: Internal tibial rotation is a risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The effect of restraining tibial rotation (RTR) to prevent ACL injury during single-leg landing is not well understood. We aimed to investigate the effect of impact load and RTR on ACL injury with respect to flexion angle.

A comparison of optimisation methods and knee joint degrees of freedom on muscle force predictions during single-leg hop landings.

The aim of this paper was to compare the effect of different optimisation methods and different knee joint degrees of freedom (DOF) on muscle force predictions during a single legged hop. Nineteen subjects performed single-legged hopping manoeuvres and subject-specific musculoskeletal models were developed to predict muscle forces during the movement. Muscle forces were predicted using static optimisation (SO) and computed muscle control (CMC) methods using either 1 or 3 DOF knee joint models.

Contributions of the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles to the anterior cruciate ligament loading during single-leg landing.

The aim of this study was to identify the contribution of the Soleus and Gastrocnemius (Gastroc) muscles' forces to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) loading during single-leg landing. Although Quadriceps (Quads) and Hamstrings (Hams) muscles were recognized as the main contributors to the ACL loading, less is known regarding the role of ankle joint plantarflexors during landing. Eight healthy subjects performed single-landing tasks from 30 and 60cm heights.