Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Joint loading is an important factor for the development of arthritis. Thus,
researchers are interested in how joint geometry and joint center location affects
joint and muscles moments and joint contact forces. For this purpose, Lenaerts and
coworkers [
15
] quantified hip joint and muscle moments using three different models
which varied in the amount of subject specific details. Their results show that vari-
ations in joint geometry incorporated in musculoskeletal models can significantly
alter results of dynamic simulations. Based on these results, they proposed that mus-
culoskeletal models should include subject-specific bone geometry and joint center
location for surgery decision making.
The usage of the SIMM software also contributed to the understanding of how
muscles adapt to ankle foot orthoses. Crabtree and Higginson [
53
] added fifteen
muscles to an existing musculoskeletal model in SIMM to predict ankle torque and
identify changes in muscle excitation during a walking simulation. In another study,
the influence of an orthosis on ankle, knee and hip joint kinematics and kinetics
during the phases of walking was investigated [
54
]. It is common to use foot orthotics
to stabilize, facilitate and restore normal gait pattern during locomotor training in
patients with post incomplete spinal cord injury. However, this study showed that
ankle foot orthoses need to be evaluated more accurately in neurological populations
based on goals of the intervention and desired outcomes.
Simulations using SIMM also allowed the detection of five specific muscles that
played a role in a simple neural strategy that enables the basic tasks of walking
defines as body support, forward propulsion and leg swing [
55
].
In lower limb amputation cases, musculoskeletal modeling has been used not only
to understand how amputees compensate for the loss of ankle plantar flexors but also
to determine individual muscle contributions to body support and forward propulsion
[
56
]. Recently, Fey et al. [
57
] looked at the influence of different stiffness levels on
muscle function in a prosthetic foot using forward dynamics simulations, and found
that prosthetic stiffness has a clear impact during the different phases of gait.
An alternative software is Anybody, which is well accepted in the biomechanics
community despite being more recently developed compared to other softwares.
The advantages brought by this software are useful in areas like the automotive field,
ergonomics, sports, orthopaedics, rehabilitation, spine biomechanics and others. For
example, Worsley and coworkers [
58
] evaluated tibiofemoral joint (TFJ) kinematics
and kinetics during gait, sit-stand-sit, and step-descent in healthy older subjects
using motion capture data and inverse dynamic musculoskeletal models. Another
study focused on creating a more detailed foot model scalable with the option to
be integrated into an existing AnyBody whole musculoskeletal model [
59
]. Asfour
and Eltoukhy [
1
] presented a case study where the goal was the development of a
model to evaluate the quadriceps behavior in patients with total knee replacement. In
a recent study, a new model with special focus on cartilage, menisci and ligaments
was investigated in order to better understand the influence of hard and soft tissue
on the knee joint [
60
].
Anybody has found wide application in the mechanical function of the anterior
and posterior cruciate ligament injuries. For example, the force equilibrium of the
tibia and loading pattern of the cruciate ligaments was studied during a forward lunge
