Non-destructive Characterization of Skeletal Muscle Extracellular Matrix Morphology by Combining Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Imaging with Tissue Clearing.

Histology is an essential step to visualize and analyze the microstructure of any biological tissue; however, histological processing is often irreversible, and histological samples are unable to be imaged or tested further. In this work, a novel non-destructive protocol is proposed for morphological analysis of skeletal muscles, combining Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging with Tissue Clearing. Imaging combining OCT and Propylene Glycol (PG) as a tissue-clearing agent, was performed on rat tail and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle.

Fast 3D Face Reconstruction from a Single Image Using Different Deep Learning Approaches for Facial Palsy Patients.

The 3D reconstruction of an accurate face model is essential for delivering reliable feedback for clinical decision support. Medical imaging and specific depth sensors are accurate but not suitable for an easy-to-use and portable tool. The recent development of deep learning (DL) models opens new challenges for 3D shape reconstruction from a single image.

Reinforcement learning coupled with finite element modeling for facial motion learning.

Background And Objective: Facial palsy patients or patients with facial transplantation have abnormal facial motion due to altered facial muscle functions and nerve damage. Computer-aided system and physics-based models have been developed to provide objective and quantitative information. However, the predictive capacity of these solutions is still limited to explore the facial motion patterns with emerging properties.

Enhanced facial expression recognition using 3D point sets and geometric deep learning.

Facial expression recognition plays an essential role in human conversation and human-computer interaction. Previous research studies have recognized facial expressions mainly based on 2D image processing requiring sensitive feature engineering and conventional machine learning approaches. The purpose of the present study was to recognize facial expressions by applying a new class of deep learning called geometric deep learning directly on 3D point cloud data.

Kinect-driven Patient-specific Head, Skull, and Muscle Network Modelling for Facial Palsy Patients.

Background And Objective: Facial palsy negatively affects both professional and personal life qualities of involved patients. Classical facial rehabilitation strategies can recover facial mimics into their normal and symmetrical movements and appearances. However, there is a lack of objective, quantitative, and in-vivo facial texture and muscle activation bio-feedbacks for personalizing rehabilitation programs and diagnosing recovering progresses.

A Systematic Review of Real-Time Medical Simulations with Soft-Tissue Deformation: Computational Approaches, Interaction Devices, System Architectures, and Clinical Validations.

Simulating deformations of soft tissues is a complex engineering task, and it is even more difficult when facing the constraint between computation speed and system accuracy. However, literature lacks of a holistic review of all necessary aspects (computational approaches, interaction devices, system architectures, and clinical validations) for developing an effective system of soft-tissue simulations. This paper summarizes and analyses recent achievements of resolving these issues to estimate general trends and weakness for future developments.

Real-time computer vision system for tracking simultaneously subject-specific rigid head and non-rigid facial mimic movements using a contactless sensor and system of systems approach.

Background And Objective: Head and facial mimic animations play important roles in various fields such as human-machine interactions, internet communications, multimedia applications, and facial mimic analysis. Numerous studies have been trying to simulate these animations. However, they hardly achieved all requirements of full rigid head and non-rigid facial mimic animations in a subject-specific manner with real-time framerates.

A Systematic Review of Continuum Modeling of Skeletal Muscles: Current Trends, Limitations, and Recommendations.

Finite elasticity theory has been commonly used to model skeletal muscle. A very large range of heterogeneous constitutive laws has been proposed. In this review, the most widely used continuum models of skeletal muscles were synthetized and discussed.

Comparison of patient-specific computational models vs. clinical follow-up, for adjacent segment disc degeneration and bone remodelling after spinal fusion.

Spinal fusion is a standard surgical treatment for patients suffering from low back pain attributed to disc degeneration. However, results are somewhat variable and unpredictable. With fusion the kinematic behaviour of the spine is altered.

Rehabilitation-Oriented Serious Game Development and Evaluation Guidelines for Musculoskeletal Disorders.

Background: The progress in information and communication technology (ICT) led to the development of a new rehabilitation technique called "serious game for functional rehabilitation." Previous works have shown that serious games can be used for general health and specific disease management. However, there is still lack of consensus on development and evaluation guidelines.

MRI-based finite element modeling of facial mimics: a case study on the paired zygomaticus major muscles.

Finite element simulation of facial mimics provides objective indicators about soft tissue functions for improving diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of facial disorders. There is a lack of in vivo experimental data for model development and validation. In this study, the contribution of the paired Zygomaticus Major (ZM) muscle contraction on the facial mimics was investigated using in vivo experimental data derived from MRI.

Exploring various orientation measurement approaches applied to a serious game system for functional rehabilitation.

Serious games have been established as a complementary tool for conventional rehabilitation. This trend proved to be beneficial for both experts and patients since the first are able to assign and monitor virtual reality games for their patients to be executed at home, and the latter are greatly motivated by the challenges of these games rather than the repeatable and boring rehabilitation movements. In a previous work, we proposed a serious game for lower limb rehabilitation of the musculoskeletal system using the Microsoft KinectTM camera and a virtual environment.

A New Multi-Sensor Fusion Scheme to Improve the Accuracy of Knee Flexion Kinematics for Functional Rehabilitation Movements.

Exergames have been proposed as a potential tool to improve the current practice of musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Inertial or optical motion capture sensors are commonly used to track the subject's movements. However, the use of these motion capture tools suffers from the lack of accuracy in estimating joint angles, which could lead to wrong data interpretation.

On the relative relevance of subject-specific geometries and degeneration-specific mechanical properties for the study of cell death in human intervertebral disk models.

Capturing patient- or condition-specific intervertebral disk (IVD) properties in finite element models is outmost important in order to explore how biomechanical and biophysical processes may interact in spine diseases. However, disk degenerative changes are often modeled through equations similar to those employed for healthy organs, which might not be valid. As for the simulated effects of degenerative changes, they likely depend on specific disk geometries.

Analysis of shear wave propagation derived from MR elastography in 3D thigh skeletal muscle using subject specific finite element model.

The purpose of this study was to develop a subject specific finite element model derived from MRI images to numerically analyze the MRE (magnetic resonance elastography) shear wave propagation within skeletal thigh muscles. A sagittal T2 CUBE MRI sequence was performed on the 20-cm thigh segment of a healthy male subject. Skin, adipose tissue, femoral bone and 11 muscles were manually segmented in order to have 3D smoothed solid and meshed models.

In vivo assessment of nervous fiber distribution in the intervertebral disc.

This present study aims to assess in vivo the nervous fibers distribution in the intervertebral disc using diffusion tensor imaging technique. Five healthy subjects participated into the data acquisition. Fiber extraction and tracking algorithms were used.

Facial mimics simulation using MRI and finite element analysis.

Recent research studies aimed to simulate facial expressions or motions due to muscle contraction using biomechanical models ranging from basic to advanced muscle constitutive models. However, these models are based on generic geometries and there is a lack of experimental data for the numerical simulation as well as for the model validation in a clinical context. The objective of our present study was to perform facial mimics simulation using subject specific data derived from MRI technique.

Uncertainty modeling of input data for a biomechanical system of systems.

Biomechanical models simulating pathologies need assumptions and often have to deal with data from different sources. We proposed a biomechanical system of systems (BSoS) including two modeling (biomechanics and knowledge-based) approaches to understand the impact of musculoskeletal pathologies leading to propose better diagnosis and appropriate treatment prescription. Moreover, uncertainty of input data was modeled leading to quantify their impact on the simulation results.

Identification process based on shear wave propagation within a phantom using finite element modelling and magnetic resonance elastography.

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), based on shear wave propagation generated by a specific driver, is a non-invasive exam performed in clinical practice to improve the liver diagnosis. The purpose was to develop a finite element (FE) identification method for the mechanical characterisation of phantom mimicking soft tissues investigated with MRE technique. Thus, a 3D FE phantom model, composed of the realistic MRE liver boundary conditions, was developed to simulate the shear wave propagation with the software ABAQUS.

Analysis of liver viscosity behavior as a function of multifrequency magnetic resonance elastography (MMRE) postprocessing.

Purpose: To analyze the relevance of the viscosity measurement as a liver diagnostic marker.

Materials And Methods: To determine the level of fibrosis, a Fibroscan test was performed on 40 subjects (10 healthy volunteers and 30 patients). Subsequently, multifrequency magnetic resonance elastography (MMRE) tests were made with a pneumatic driver at 60, 70, and 80 Hz.

Knowledge-based personalized search engine for the Web-based Human Musculoskeletal System Resources (HMSR) in biomechanics.

Human musculoskeletal system resources of the human body are valuable for the learning and medical purposes. Internet-based information from conventional search engines such as Google or Yahoo cannot response to the need of useful, accurate, reliable and good-quality human musculoskeletal resources related to medical processes, pathological knowledge and practical expertise. In this present work, an advanced knowledge-based personalized search engine was developed.

Characterization of a hyper-viscoelastic phantom mimicking biological soft tissue using an abdominal pneumatic driver with magnetic resonance elastography (MRE).

The purpose of this study was to create a polymer phantom mimicking the mechanical properties of soft tissues using experimental tests and rheological models. Multifrequency Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MMRE) tests were performed on the present phantom with a pneumatic driver to characterize the viscoelastic (μ, η) properties using Voigt, Maxwell, Zener and Springpot models. To optimize the MMRE protocol, the driver behavior was analyzed with a vibrometer.

Morphogenesis of the human palma arch using three-dimensional geometric modeling.

The hand goes through complex morphological modifications during embryogenesis. The goal of this study was to use geometric modeling to study the morphometric modifications of the palmar arch. Five embryos were used for the study (sizes: 15, 17, 23, 30, and 44 mm).