Evaluation of Novel Spine Musculoskeletal Biomechanics in Stability Control

当你读到这个建议的时候，请花点时间思考一下，你如何才能坐着而不让你的脊椎在上半身的负荷下崩溃。如果你幸运的话，你的脊柱稳定，没有不适。不幸的是，对许多人来说，存在一种坍塌或机械故障的形式。了解促进或缺乏脊柱稳定性的机制是本研究计划的全球主题。脊柱疾病和相关的背部疼痛目前是一种阻碍生产力的流行病，给加拿大等发达国家造成了巨大的经济负担。脊柱疾病的表现，在机械上代表了一个有缺陷的稳定性机制。该研究项目将利用跨学科平台和合作，同时研究脊柱生物力学，以产生和验证脊柱稳定性的新解释。在该领域，本研究项目将首次客观地探讨腹腔和棘旁肌室压缩性在脊柱稳定性中的协同作用，从而作为脊柱不稳定和随后疾病的潜在机制。据推测，当使用传统的脊柱生物力学解释时，包括加压腹部和棘旁隔室的可压缩性将减轻对棘旁肌肉计算的不切实际的张力需求。进一步假设，张力包膜，如围绕这些隔室的腹环，也在稳定性中起作用，张力能力的任何偏移都会引入不稳定性和代偿模式。该研究项目利用了脊柱生物力学、高性能计算机、基于患者的生理3D模型和定制编程有限元建模方面的专业知识。此外，该研究项目将在工程计算机编程、图像处理、控制和应力分析方面培养数名HQPs(3名博士、3名孟和3名BEng)，同时向跨学科临床和生理理论提交他们，以满足加拿大医疗器械市场对生物医学工程师快速增长的需求。此外，通过改变与脊柱不稳定相关的诊断和治疗方法，预计短期和长期的结果将产生广泛的影响。

As you read this proposal, please take a second to ponder how you are able to sit without having your spine collapse under the load of your upper body. If you are lucky, you have spinal stability and are free of discomfort. Unfortunately, for many, a form of collapse or mechanical failure is present. Understanding the mechanisms that contribute to spinal stability, or lack thereof, is the global theme of the proposed research program. Spinal disorders and associated back pain currently represent an epidemic hindering productivity and creating a massive economic burden to developed nations such as Canada. The presentation of a spinal disorder, mechanically, represents a flawed stability mechanism. This research program will leverage cross-disciplinary platforms and collaborations while studying spine biomechanics to generate and validate novel interpretations of spine stability. For the first time in this field, this research program will objectively explore the synergistic role of the abdominal cavity and paraspinal muscle compartment compressibility in spinal stability and, consequently, as a potential mechanism of spinal instability and subsequent disorders. It is hypothesized that the inclusion of the compressibility of pressurized abdominal and paraspinal compartments will alleviate the unrealistic tensional demands calculated for paraspinal muscles when utilizing conventional biomechanical interpretations of the spine. It is further hypothesized that the tensional envelopes, such as the abdominal ring surrounding these compartments, also play a role in stability and any offset in tensional capacities will introduce instability and compensatory patterns. The research program leverages prior expertise in spine biomechanics, high-performance computers, patient based physiological 3D models, and custom programed finite element modeling. Furthermore, the research program will train several HQPs (3 PhD, 3 MEng, and 3 BEng) on engineering computer programing, image processing, control, and stress analyses while submitting them to cross-disciplinary clinical and physiological theories and feeding the fast growing demand of biomedical engineers in the medical device market in Canada. Moreover, short and long term results are expected to have a broad impact by altering diagnostic and treatment methods related to spine instability.