Simulation of movement in three-dimensional musculoskeletal human lumbar spine using directional encoding-based neurocontrollers.

Despite development of accurate musculoskeletal models for human lumbar spine, the methods for prediction of muscle activity patterns in movements lack proper association with corresponding sensorimotor integrations. This paper uses the directional information of the Jacobian of the musculoskeletal system to orchestrate adaptive critic-based fuzzy neural controller modules for controlling a complex nonlinear redundant musculoskeletal system. The proposed controller is used to control a 3D 3-degree of freedom (DOF) musculoskeletal model of trunk, actuated by 18 muscles. The controller is capable of learning to control from sensory information, without relying on pre-assumed model parameters. Simulation results show satisfactory tracking of movements and the simulated muscle activation patterns conform to previous EMG experiments and optimization studies. The proposed controller can be used as a computationally inexpensive muscle activity generator to distinguish between neural and mechanical contributions to movement and for study of sensory versus motor origins of motor function and dysfunction in human spine.