In vivo measures of rotator cuff muscle dynamics

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The equipment requested is to be used in the in-vivo validation of shoulder complex model in determining the sheltered arm position in a shoulder orthosis to speed up rehabilitation after rotator cuff surgery. Three measuring devices are requested. A 16 channel fine wire intra-muscular electromyography (EMG) system will be used to monitored rotator cuff muscle activations during shoulder surgery. The in-vivo muscle stress/strain sensors (Arthroscopically Insertable Force Probes, AIFP and the Differential Variable Reluctance Transducers, DVRT) will be attached to the muscle tendon during tear repair surgery. These equipments will be used by 5 full-time professors who presently supervise 15 students and assistants in the Simulation and Movement Modeling laboratory. Presently only indirect measures are available to validate the shoulder complex muscle activations since none of the rotator cuff muscles forces which are deep muscles and where most of the injuries take place can be estimated. The fine wire EMG and the miniature AIFP-DVRT sensors will enable direct stress/strain measurements. This information will be crucial to validate the shoulder complex model but also provide unique force data on injured muscles. It will also supply in-situ information to the orthopedic surgeons in combination with a real time kinematical analysis. This could lead to better treatment both surgically and post-operatively through shoulder/arm bracing.