Musculoskeletal disorders and injuries are one of the most prevalent medical conditions across age groups. Due to a high load-bearing function, the knee is particularly susceptible to injuries such as meniscus tears. Imaging techniques are commonly used to assess meniscus injuries, though this approach suffers from limitations including high cost, need for skilled personnel, and confinement to laboratory or clinical settings. Vibration-based structural monitoring methods in the form of acoustic emission analysis and vibration stimulation have the potential to address the limits associated with current diagnostic technologies. In this study, an active vibration measurement technique is employed to investigate the presence and severity of meniscus tear in cadaver limbs. In a highly controlled ex vivo experimental design, a series of cadaver knees (n =6) were evaluated under an external vibration, and the frequency response of the joint was analyzed to differentiate the intact and affected samples. Four stages of knee integrity were considered: baseline, sham surgery, meniscus tear, and meniscectomy. Analyzing the frequency response of injured legs showed significant changes compared to the baseline and sham stages at selected frequency bandwidths. Furthermore, a qualitative analytical model of the knee was developed based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory representing the meniscus tear as a change in the local stiffness of the system. Similar trends in frequency response modulation were observed in the experimental results and analytical model. These findings serve as a foundation for further development of wearable devices for detection and grading of meniscus tear and for improving our understanding of the physiological effects of injuries on the vibration characteristics of the knee. Such systems can also aid in quantifying rehabilitation progress following reconstructive surgery and / or during physical therapy.

中文翻译：

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振动刺激作为监测半月板眼泪严重程度的一种非侵入性方法

肌肉骨骼疾病和伤害是各个年龄段中最普遍的医学状况之一。由于高承载功能，膝盖特别容易受到诸如半月板撕裂之类的伤害。成像技术通常用于评估半月板损伤，尽管这种方法存在局限性，包括成本高，需要熟练技术人员以及仅限于实验室或临床环境。基于声发射分析和振动刺激形式的基于振动的结构监测方法有可能解决与当前诊断技术相关的限制。在这项研究中，采用主动振动测量技术来研究尸体肢体中半月板撕裂的存在和严重程度。在高度控制下离体实验设计中，在外部振动下评估了一系列尸体膝盖（n = 6），并分析了关节的频率响应以区分完整样品和受影响样品。膝关节的完整性分为四个阶段：基线，假手术，半月板撕裂和半月板切除术。分析受伤腿部的频率响应后，在选定的频率带宽上，与基线阶段和假阶段相比，发生了显着变化。此外，基于欧拉-伯努利梁理论开发了膝盖的定性分析模型，该模型将弯月面撕裂表示为系统局部刚度的变化。在实验结果和分析模型中观察到频率响应调制的类似趋势。这些发现为进一步开发用于检测和分级弯月面撕裂的可穿戴设备以及增进我们对损伤对膝盖振动特性的生理影响的理解奠定了基础。这样的系统还可以帮助量化重建手术之后和/或物理治疗期间的康复进度。