Model Studies in Orthopaedic Biomechanics

人体肌肉骨骼系统疾病影响到大多数人口，是人们在积极工作期间遭受痛苦和致残的主要原因，也是社会对旷工和医疗费用的主要关切。虽然许多此类疾病(如腰背痛、关节炎、关节不稳、畸形)的病因往往是不确定的，但有充分的证据表明，机械因素起着显著的致病作用。确定机械因素在观察到的损伤、变形和退化过程中的作用，可减少相关风险、改善生活质量、提高生产力和降低医疗成本，使社会广泛阶层受益，特别是在考虑到人口老龄化的情况下。该方案旨在继续对人体冗余被动主动躯干和下肢神经肌肉骨骼系统、腰椎、椎间盘、软骨下骨关节软骨结构和膝关节在完整、损伤、退化和重建条件下的真实有限元模型进行研究。这些模型在不同的机械载荷、肌肉补充和姿势/运动学/边界条件下进行了三维非线性主动-被动传输、弹性静力、动态、粘弹性和多相分析。我们将广泛使用我们自己开发的计划以及商业上可用的一揽子计划来完成拟议的研究。 上述生物力学模型研究与体内和体外测量相结合(由我们的团队、合作者或从文献中获得)有望：(1)显著提高我们对人体躯干、膝关节及其组成部分的功能生物力学和稳定性的了解；(2)识别与损伤、失败和退变过程相关的危险因素；(3)开发、检查和提出减少/预防伤害和提高职业和娱乐任务的安全性能的方法和标准；(4)调查和改进现有的运动疗法、运动能力提高和康复管理方案以及手术替代方法；最后(5)对假体和假体置换系统的设计进行分析和改进。 拟议中的调查，在处理整形外科生物力学中广泛的新的和复杂的应用的同时，将培养高素质的工程师和研究人员，他们是有效应对当前和未来社会面临的挑战(例如，老龄化、肥胖、更积极的生活方式、预防、治疗、医疗成本)所急需的。

Disorders in human musculoskeletal systems affect majority of population and are both the leading cause of sufferance and disability in people during their active working years and major concern for societies in terms of absenteeism and health care cost. Although the etiology of many of these disorders (e.g., low-back pain, arthritis, joint instability, deformity) is often a matter of uncertainty, there is ample evidence suggesting that mechanical factors play a prominent causative role. Identification of the role of mechanical factors in observed injuries, deformities and degenerative processes benefits broad segments of the society by reducing risks involved, improving quality of life, augmenting productivity and reducing health care cost especially when considering our ageing population. This proposal aims to continue on the realistic finite element model studies of the redundant human passive-active trunk and lower extremity neuro-musculoskeletal systems, lumbar spine, intervertebral discs, subchondral bone-articular cartilage structure and knee joint in intact, injured, degenerate and reconstructed conditions. These models carry out 3D coupled nonlinear active-passive transport, elastostatic, dynamic, viscoelastic, and multi-phasic analyses under various mechanical loading, muscle recruitment and postural/kinematics/boundary conditions. Our own in-house developed programs as well as commercially available package programs will extensively be used to complete the proposed studies. The foregoing biomechanical model studies in combination with in vivo and in vitro measurements (carried out by our group, our collaborators or taken from the literature) are expected to : (1) markedly advance our understanding of the functional biomechanics and stability of the human trunk, knee joint and their constituent components; (2) identify associated risk factors for injuries, failures and degenerative processes; (3) develop, examine and propose methods and standards to reduce/prevent injuries and to improve safer performance of occupational and recreational tasks; (4) investigate and improve current exercise therapy, performance enhancement and rehabilitation management programs as well as surgical replacement methods; and finally (5) analyse and improve designs of constructs and prosthetic replacement systems. The proposed investigations, while treating a wide range of novel and complex applications in orthopaedic biomechanics, will train highly qualified engineers and researchers that are much needed to effectively handle the current and future challenges (e.g., ageing, obesity, more active life-style, prevention, treatment, health-care cost) facing our society.