Background Bradykinesia affects mobility in some people with Parkinson's. Fall risk makes the neural control of maximal speed ambulatory movements difficult to study in Parkinson's. Stationary recumbent bicycling favors the use of electromyography at high movement speeds, and may better reveal neuromuscular rate limiters. Methods Subjects were 18 adults with Parkinson's, 14 older adults and 14 young

Background Laminectomy and multilevel fusion in patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy lead to severe restriction in cervical spine mobility. Since fusions from C2 to the thoracic spine result in a permanently stiff subaxial cervical spine, it seems obvious to restore physiological cervical lordosis, especially with regard to sagittal balance. However, there are reports that a fusion in a more

Background The success of surgical repairs rely on the effectiveness and integrity of the surgical knots used to secure the repair. The purpose of this study is to examine and compare the performance of the Nice knot, the modified Nice knot, and a commonly used combination of surgeons' and square knots with respect to cyclic loading and load-to-failure usiflueng a high-strength suture composed of ultra-high

Background The clinical outcomes of total ankle replacement are limited by prosthesis component malpositioning during surgery. The goal of this study is to assess the mechanical impact of this malpositioning in a validated computer model. Methods In a previously developed multi-body dynamic model of the human ankle complex three different artificial implants were designed, each one presenting a different

Background To elucidate the formation process and therapeutic targets of hip flexion contracture, we developed a rat model of hip flexion contracture induced by hip mono-articular immobilization. Methods Kirschner wires inserted into the femur and hip bone were anchored at the hip in a flexed position in the immobilization groups and unanchored in the sham groups for up to four weeks. Age-matched untreated

Background Cervical collar treatment is widespread amongst a broad range of ages and conditions. However, these devices are associated with a known correlation between collar usage and adverse effects such as pressure ulcers, infections, exacerbated spinal injury, and higher morbidity. The objective of this study was to determine if the ability of a newly developed DJO Procare XTEND 174 collar to restrict

Background The expansion of the cervical vertebrae lamina appears to be crucial to related surgical procedures. The dimensions of the groove influence the strain concentration within the lamina of the vertebra and, thus, the potential success or failure of respective surgical procedure. The aim of this computational study is to clarify both the role of the size of the groove with concern to both the

Background Scaphoid fractures account for 60–70% carpal injury. Due to limited vascular supply achieving adequate reduction and healing is important to avoid complications including avascular necrosis. Recent technological advances have led to renewed vigour in bioabsorbable material research to develop devices which could be used without the need for removal and complications including stress shielding

Background Subtalar arthroereisis refers to the implantation of a sinus tarsi implant for the treatment of flexible flatfoot. The purpose of this study was to compare the ability to correct the flatfoot deformity and contact pressure of the posterior subtalar joint between two types of self-locking wedge implants and between two different positions for the same device in a cadaveric flatfoot model

Background Adaptation of lower limb function to different gait tasks is inherently not as effective among individuals with lower limb amputation as compared to able-bodied individuals. Varying stiffness of a prosthetic foot may be a way of facilitating gait tasks that require larger ankle joint range of motion. Methods Three stiffness settings of a novel prosthetic foot design were tested for level

Background The brachialis muscle lies in close anatomic relation to the anterior capsule of the elbow joint. The contribution of the brachialis muscle to elbow stability has not yet been fully investigated. Therefore, the aim of this biomechanical in-vitro study was to analyze its influence on joint stability. Methods Nine fresh frozen cadaveric elbows were evaluated for stability against valgus and

Background Conflicting theories exist about the underlying cause of chronic subacromial pain in the middle-aged population. We aim to improve our understanding of kinematics and muscle activation in subacromial pain syndrome to provide insight in its pathophysiology. Methods In a cross-sectional comparison of 40 patients with subacromial pain syndrome and 30 asymptomatic controls, three-dimensional

Background Chronic idiopathic patellofemoral pain is associated with patellar maltracking in both adolescents and adults. To accurately target the underlying, patient-specific etiology, it is crucial we understand if age-of-pain-onset influences maltracking. Methods Twenty adolescents (13.9 ± 1.4 years) and 20 adults (28.1 ± 4.9 years) female patients with idiopathic patellofemoral pain (age-of-pain-onset:

Background Ground reaction forces are biomechanical data, providing information to investigate pathological gait. The vertical component of ground reaction force introduces the upward thrust force within gait progression. Although alterations in the vertical component in patients with spinal disorders were addressed in the literature, still the corresponding effect on spinal disorders is a major issue

Background Autism spectrum disorder, a neurodevelopmental disorder, is difficult to characterize from a gait biomechanics perspective, possibly due to increased inter and intra-individual variability. Previous research illustrates increased gait variability in young children with autism, but assessments in older adolescents or at varying speeds are unavailable. The purpose of this study was to determine

Background High-flow nasal cannula therapy is used as a noninvasive treatment for people with acute respiratory disease. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of high-flow nasal cannula different flow rates on different characteristics of swallowing in healthy volunteers. Methods A prospective cohort study where healthy adult volunteers were subject to high-flow nasal cannula at different

Background Foot to ground pressure changes in total hip arthroplasty patients' gait are not widely described, although they are sensitive to gait abnormalities and the distribution of plantar pressures may differ before and after the surgery. This study aimed to analyse longitudinally differences in plantar pressure during gait in total hip arthroplasty patients compared to healthy controls. Methods

Background Total hip replacement with minimally invasive direct anterior approach using the “Smith Petersen” interval is an alternative technique to conventional surgery aimed at preserving the integrity of the muscles around the hip joint. This study aimed to observe hip biomechanics, gait variables, hip muscle activation and locomotor performance during three locomotor tasks (forward, lateral, and

Background Machine learning approaches for the classification of pathological gait based on kinematic data, e.g. derived from inertial sensors, are commonly used in terms of a multi-class classification problem. However, there is a lack of research regarding one-class classifiers that are independent of certain pathologies. Therefore, it was the aim of this work to design a one-class classifier based

Background The risk of falls during locomotion increases with age, and step negotiation is one of the most hazardous types of gait for older adults. Further, a history of a fall is one of the strongest predictors of a future fall; and women fall more frequently, and incur greater medical costs, compared to men. The purpose of the study was to identify lower extremity kinematic factors associated with

Background Turns are often cited as a difficult task for individuals with Parkinson's disease and often lead to falls, however targeted exercise interventions may help to reduce this problem. This study examined the effects of a 10-week home-based exercise program focusing on turns which may be an exercise approach for improving mobility and reducing falls in individuals with Parkinson's disease. Methods

Background Biomechanical effects of anterior knee pain are difficult to distinguish from effects of other factors also related to knee injury (e.g., joint effusion). The purpose of this study was to evaluate independent effects of anterior knee pain on landing and jumping biomechanics. Methods Thirteen healthy participants performed a land and jump movement task, under three experimental conditions

Background Cancellous screw fixation is often used in fracture fixation. When this screw is over-tightened, damage to the bone and other non-linear processes such as fracture and construct failure would be involved. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the reduction in pull-out strength when a cancellous screw spins and (2) to determine how much pull-out strength can be restored by revising

Background Studies on the role of uncinate process have been limited to responses of the intact spine and patient's outcomes, and procedures to perform the excision. The aim of this study was to determine the role of uncinate process on the biomechanical response at the index and adjacent levels in three artificial discs used in cervical disc arthroplasty. Methods A validated finite element model of

Background Patients with knee osteoarthritis can adapt their gait to unload the most painful knee joint in order to try to reduce pain and improve physical function. However, these gait adaptations can cause higher loads on the contralateral joints. The aim of the study was to investigate the interlimb differences in knee and hip frontal plane moments during gait in patients with knee osteoarthritis

Background This study presented the load profile applied on transfemoral osseointegrated implants by bone-anchored prostheses fitted with state-of-the-art ÖSSUR microprocessor-controlled Rheo Knee XC and energy-storing-and-returning Pro-Flex XC or LP feet during five standardized daily activities. Methods This cross-sectional cohort study included 13 participants fitted with a press-fit transfemoral

Background Spinal mobilization and spinal manipulation are common interventions used by manual therapists to treat musculoskeletal conditions in older adults. Their force-time characteristics applied to older adults' thoracic spine are important considerations for effectiveness and safety but remain unknown. This study aimed to describe the force-time characteristics of posterior-to-anterior spinal

Background Descending command in hemiparesis is reduced to agonists and misdirected to antagonists. We monitored agonist and antagonist activation along the swing phase of gait, comparing paretic and non-paretic legs. Methods Forty-two adults with chronic hemiparesis underwent gait analysis with bilateral EMG from tibialis anterior, soleus and gastrocnemius medialis. We monitored ankle and knee positions

Background Self-tapping screws have been extensively used for dental implants. Their biomechanical behavior is highly associated with their clinical success, particularly for screws used for immediate implant placement and restoration, because occlusal forces can directly affect the loading transfer at the bone–implant interface after implantation. The effect of implant design on the initial stability

Background Ankle mobility is known to be of uttermost importance to generate propulsive forces and control balance during gait initiation. Impaired mobility of the postural chain occurs with normal ageing and is exacerbated in patients with Parkinson's disease. This study questions whether short-term stretching session applied to the triceps surae improves ankle mobility and, consequently, dynamical

Background Determine whether knee kinematics features analyzed using machine-learning algorithms can identify different gait profiles in knee OA patients. Methods 3D gait kinematic data were recorded from 42 patients (Kellgren-Lawrence stages III and IV) walking barefoot at individual maximal gait speed (0.98 ± 0.34 m/s). Principal component analysis, self-organizing maps, and k-means were applied

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating, neurodegenerative disorder causing considerable gait and balance dysfunction. Reactive balance (i.e., quick movements in response to a loss of balance) is particularly important for fall risk and is impaired in people with MS compared to neurotypical peers. Therefore, improving reactive balance among those with MS is critical. However, for maximum

Background Frequently, treatment decisions for craniocervical injuries and instability are based on imaging findings, but in vivo ligament kinematics were poorly understood. This study was to determine in vivo deformation patterns of primary ligaments in the craniocervical junction (i.e., C0–2), including the cruciform ligament, alar ligaments, and accessory ligaments, during dynamic head axial rotation

Background Assessing landing kinetics during hop testing could improve return to sport decisions following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL) reconstruction. However, different methods for normalizing kinetic outcomes could influence the interpretation of landing kinetics and therefore the clinical recommendations. Methods Twenty-one females who had returned to sport following primary

Impacts, traumas and strokes are spontaneously life-threatening, but chronic symptoms strangle patient every day. Colorectal tissue mechanics in such chronic situations not only regulates the physio-psychological well-being of the patient, but also confirms the level of comfort and post-operative clinical outcomes. Numerous uniaxial and multiaxial tensile experiments on healthy and affected samples

Background Trunk movement compensation characterized as ipsilateral trunk lean and posterior rotation with respect to pelvis during stance phase of walking is common in people with hip osteoarthritis and a biomarker of deficits in physical function in older adults. However, the relationship between trunk movement compensation on deficits in physical performance, muscle strength and functional capacity

Background Diabetic foot disease is associated with physiological and biomechanical abnormalities in the foot that increase risk for ulceration. The objective was to assess MRI changes in the composition of sub-calcaneal fat pad tissue and its association with plantar pressure during walking. Methods Fourteen people with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy and five age-matched healthy controls underwent

Background The purposes of the present study are 1) to measure intraoperative patellofemoral compressive force in patients undergoing anatomical bi-cruciate retaining total knee arthroplasty and to assess the relationship between intraoperative patellofemoral compressive force and patient reported outcome measurements and 2) to compare patellofemoral compressive force and patient reported outcome measurements

Background Normal knees generally show consistent femoral external rotation during knee flexion, although knees that have had total knee arthroplasty exhibit various rotational patterns with less rotational angle. This study aimed to determine whether consistent femoral external rotation during weight-bearing knee flexion after total knee arthroplasty is associated with better patient-reported outcomes

Background It is commonly assumed that abnormal foot biomechanics cause plantar fasciitis; however, this assumption is not well supported. In this study, we investigated rearfoot to medial-forefoot coordination of healthy and plantar fasciitis individuals. We hypothesized that chronic plantar fasciitis individuals would exhibit greater intersegmental rearfoot to medial-forefoot anti-phase coordination

Background Carpal tunnel syndrome patients demonstrate diminished motion of the median nerve and fibrotic changes in the subsynovial connective tissue within the carpal tunnel. Currently, there are few prognostic factors to help predict the outcome of commonly performed treatments including surgical carpal tunnel release and corticosteroid injections. This study aimed to non-invasively assess the changes

Background Aberrant biomechanics may influence osteoarthritis-associated physical activity limitations. Our purpose was to evaluate the association of walking energetics, fatigue, and fatigability on physical activity in people with knee osteoarthritis. We hypothesized that using increased energy for walking, experiencing more fatigue, or being more fatigable are associated with less activity, and

Background Current implants for clavicle fractures are known to cause poor cosmesis and irritation, which may require implant removal. Low-profile shape-memory staples provide an attractive alternative, but their biomechanical utility in clavicle reconstruction is unknown. We hypothesized that shape-memory reconstructions would be more compliant compared to traditional constructs but would also outperform

Background The abdominal muscles play an important respiratory and stabilization role, and in coordination with other muscles regulate the intra-abdominal pressure stabilizing the spine. The evaluation of postural trunk muscle function is critical in clinical assessments of patients with musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. This study evaluates the relationship between intra-abdominal pressure measured

Background Pelvic incidence is the quantification of the pelvis anatomical shape which has significant effect on the occurrence of various lumbar degenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to measure the in vivo dynamic motion characteristics of the lower lumbar spine in people with different pelvic incidence. Methods A total of 55 volunteers were included in the study. The participants were

Background Spring-Assisted Posterior Vault Expansion has been adopted at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK to treat raised intracranial pressure in patients affected by syndromic craniosynostosis, a congenital calvarial anomaly which causes premature fusion of skull sutures. This procedure aims at normalising head shape and augmenting intracranial volume by means of metallic springs

Background Spinal motion is facilitated by a “three joint complex”, two facet joints and one intervertebral disc at each spinal level. Both the intervertebral discs and facet joints are subject to natural age-related degeneration, and while these processes may be linked it is not clear how. As instability in the disc could underlie facet arthritis, we evaluated the hypothesis that the discs and facet

Background Body Center Of Mass velocity assessment is a prerequisite for several applications in prosthetic control and rehabilitation monitoring. Force plate data integration is a promising alternative to full-body quantitative analysis of segmental kinematics to estimate the velocity. Still, it remains to be implemented and validated for people with transfemoral amputation. Methods Two methods were

Background Many studies on ankle-foot orthoses investigated the optimal stiffness around the ankle, while the effect of footplate stiffness has been largely ignored. This study investigated the effects of ankle-foot orthosis footplate stiffness on ankle-foot push-off power during walking in able-bodied persons. Methods Twelve healthy participants walked at a fixed speed (1.25 m·s−1) on an instrumented

Arteriovenous malformations are congenital vascular lesions characterized by a direct and tangled connection between arteries and veins, which disrupts oxygen circulation and normal blood flow. Arteriovenous malformations often occur in the patient with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. The attempts to elucidate the causative factors and pathogenic mechanisms of arteriovenous malformations are

Background The inability to standardize footwear is a potential issue when measuring landing kinetics in non-laboratory settings. This study determined the impact of not standardizing footwear on load and load symmetry during landing. A secondary purpose of this study was to introduce the Load Analysis Program, an open-source MATLAB® user-interface for computing kinetic and kinetic symmetry from data

Background Orthoses can stabilize the foot and restore the medial longitudinal arch for symptomatic flexible flatfoot. However, the effectiveness of orthoses remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate effectiveness of a customized soft inflatable orthosis on the medial longitudinal arch of flexible flatfoot patients under load. Methods We obtained CT scans of the feet of 14 healthy

Background Quiet stance is impacted by Parkinson's disease and dual-tasking. Recently developed outcomes such as the time-to-boundary provide unique insight into balance by integrating center of pressure position with base of support. However, little is known about the effects of Parkinson's disease on time-to-boundary. In particular, the effects of distracting cognitive tasks, and how people with

Background Computational fluid dynamic simulations have showed that the elevated viscosity of pulmonary fluids may increase the likelihood of airway closure, thus exacerbating inhomogeneity of regional lung ventilation. Unfortunately, there have been few studies directed toward measurements of viscosity of pulmonary fluids and its effect on airway opening pressure and regional distribution of lung

Background Osteoarthritis of the knee is a very common condition that has been difficult to treat. The majority of cases are considered idiopathic. Much research effort remains focused on biology rather than the biomechanics of such joints. Some new methods were developed and validated to better appreciate the subtleties of the biomechanical integrity of joints, and how changes in biomechanics can

Background Brachial plexus birth palsy remains a frequent condition and one of its treatments is to transfer the Latissimus Dorsi tendon to the infraspinatus muscle. The aim of this study was to analyse, for the first time, the three-dimensional kinematic effects of this operation on the upper limb joints during the five Mallet tasks and their correlation with clinical parameters. Methods Kinematic

Background Transparent facemask has been widely used for the prevention and treatment of facial hypertrophic scars all over the world. 3D printing has improved the fabrication accuracy of the traditional transparent facemasks. However, the pressure distribution pattern generated by the 3D-printed transparent facemasks has not been thoroughly investigated. The aim of this study is to develop a biomechanical

Background Proximal junction kyphosis is a common clinical complication of posterior long-segment spinal fusion and vertebral body augmentation method is one of the effective approaches to prevent it. The purpose of this study was to explore the biomechanical effect of proximal junction kyphosis after posterior long-segment thoracolumbar fusion with different vertebral augmentation schemes using finite

Background Augmentation of the proximal femur with bone cement (femoroplasty) has been identified as a potential preventive approach to reduce the risk of fracture. Femoroplasty, however, is associated with a risk of thermal damage as well as the leakage of bone cement or blockage of blood supply when large volumes of cement are introduced inside the bone. Methods Six pairs of cadaveric femora were

Background A well-known problematic sequela of chest wall resections is development of scoliosis. Despite the seriousness and frequency of scoliosis following chest well resection, the etiology and biomechanical information needed to understand this progression aren't well-known. Methods Range of motion of six specimen (C7–L2) was captured using a custom-built six degrees-of-freedom machine in each