Non-rigid modeling of the human musculoskeletal system

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Soft tissues help to attenuate the transmission of impact induced forces through the body.  However, most biomechanical models of the human musculoskeletal system do not consider soft tissue effects.  One main reason for this is that the movement characteristics of soft tissues and bone relative to one another in living subjects are largely undocumented to date.  Accurate estimates of the masses of segment soft tissues for living subjects are also very limited.  This reduces the accuracy of any biomechanical model that is developed to quantify soft tissue effects as a result of impact.  Therefore, improved estimates of soft tissue and bone mass magnitudes in living subjects (to be incorporated in biomechanical models) will be obtained for the upper and lower extremities and trunk.  Tissue mass prediction equations will be developed based on simple segment anthropometrics, and validated against segment mass estimates obtained by Dual Photon X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA).  Considerable gains in biomechanical model fidelity could be realized if person-specific soft and rigid tissue mass estimates were utilized in the analysis of the impact response of living subjects of varying ages and body types.  The dynamic behaviour of the soft and rigid tissues following impact will be modeled using visco-elastic mechanical systems.  A finite element model of the leg and foot will also be developed and tested in comparison.  The role of local muscle fatigue on the segment response and muscle stiffness following impact will continue to be evaluated.  Surface accelerometry will provide estimates of the magnitudes of transmitted forces through body segments and joints.  The effects that soft tissues have on reducing the transmission of potentially injurious forces will be determined based on model outputs at joints such as the knee and elbow.  Segment response variability will be evaluated by studying upper and lower extremity impacts that reflect genuine every day work and sport activities that can result in injury (e.g. falling on an outstretched hand, heel landings during running).