CAREER: A Multiscale Computational and Experimental Framework to Elucidate the Biomechanics of Infant Growth

肌肉骨骼紊乱和疾病是美国致残的主要原因，占发达国家50岁以上人群所有慢性病的一半以上。该学院早期职业发展（Career）奖支持通过开发新的框架来评估婴儿髋关节的生长和发育，从而更好地了解这些疾病和疾病的研究。这项研究的结果将是确定在生命早期驱动和调节生长的主要因素，这可能对预防早期关节炎有长期的好处。该项目将涉及广泛的问题，包括力学、计算形态计量学、运动科学和力学生物学。该研究与一项教育计划相结合，通过实践活动、3D打印和3D可视化，向高中、本科生和研究生展示新的关节生长和发展概念。这些活动将鼓励高中生，包括女性和未被充分代表的少数民族，追求STEM职业，并将有助于教育下一代工程师。本研究旨在通过提高公众对发育障碍的认识，改进治疗方法以获得更好的结果，从而减轻受发育障碍影响的儿童的身体、社会和经济负担。在这个CAREER项目中，PI将使用实验运动捕捉数据、有限元分析、统计形状建模和多尺度肌肉骨骼力学生物学建模来开发一个框架，提供非侵入性方法来检查人类运动的动力学。婴儿的自发运动产生不断作用于关节的力，这会影响软骨的形态和发育。本研究将采用实验与计算相结合的方法，预测关节对生物力学因素的复杂适应，从而为改善发育障碍的预防和治疗提供依据。具体任务包括使用统计形状建模建立婴儿下肢形态图谱，使用儿科运动科学量化生理关节力和力矩，并应用敏感性和不确定性分析系统地评估该框架的输入如何影响生长和发育的预测。研究结果将：(1)提供实验数据和计算模型，可作为开发婴儿发育障碍创新解决方案的基础；(2)开发创新工具，以帮助临床医生、儿科医生和物理治疗师管理关节疾病；(3)确定生命早期量化形态发生的主要因素，这些因素可能对预防早期关节炎具有长期益处。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Musculoskeletal disorders and diseases are the leading cause of disability in the United States and account for more than one-half of all chronic conditions in people over 50 years of age in developed countries. This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award supports research to build a better understanding of these disorders and diseases, through the development of a novel framework to evaluate growth and development of the hip joint in infants. The outcome of the study will be to identify major factors that drive and regulate growth early in life that may have long-term benefits for prevention of early arthritis. This project will address a wide class of problems involving mechanics, computational morphometrics, movement science, and mechanobiology. The research is integrated with an educational plan to expose high school, undergraduate, and graduate students to novel joint growth and development concepts using hands-on activities, 3D printing, and 3D visualizations. These activities will encourage high school students, including females and underrepresented minorities, to pursue STEM careers and will help educate the next generation of engineers. This study aims to reduce the physical, social, and economic burden for children affected by developmental disorders by increasing awareness among the public, and improving treatments for better outcomes.In this CAREER project, the PI will use experimental motion capture data, finite element analysis, statistical shape modeling, and multi-scale musculoskeletal mechanobiological modeling to develop a framework that provides non-invasive approaches to examine the dynamics of human movements. Infant’s spontaneous movements generate forces that are constantly acting on the joints, which can affect the morphology and development of the soft bone. Using combined experimental and computational tools, this research will predict the complex adaptation of the joint to biomechanical factors, thus providing a basis for improved prevention and treatment of developmental disorders. Specific tasks include establishing a lower limb atlas of infant morphology using statistical shape modeling, using pediatric movement science to quantify physiological joint forces and moments, and applying sensitivity and uncertainty analyses to systematically evaluate how inputs to this framework affect predictions of growth and development. Results from the research will: (1) Provide experimental data and computational models that can serve as the basis for developing innovative solutions for infant developmental disorders; (2) Develop innovative tools to aid clinicians, pediatricians, and physical therapists when managing joint disorders; (3) Identify major factors that quantify morphogenesis early in life that may have long-term benefits for prevention of early arthritis.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.