Regaining Control: Investigating the cause of knee hyperextension during stance phase in predictive simulation of running

Running is one of the most practiced sports worldwide, offering numerous health benefits, but also carrying a risk of injury, mainly at the knee and ankle joints. The origin of running injuries is not fully understood. With predictive neuromusculoskeletal simulations, more insight could be gained into the biomechanical mechanisms that may lead...

Is increased trunk flexion in standing up related to muscle weakness or pain avoidance in individuals with unilateral knee pain: a simulation study

The ‘Timed Up and Go’ test (TUG) is a widely used clinical tool for assessing gait and balance, relying primarily on timing as a measure. However, there are more observable biomechanical compensation strategies within TUG that are indicative of underlying neuromuscular issues and movement priorities. In individuals with unilateral knee...

Simulating gait with the 3R60 knee prosthesis and a control moment gyroscope

Developing a new knee prosthesis requires thorough testing. Forward dynamics simulation can be valuable in the development process. It can reduce the need for intermediate prototypes and tests. Currently, there are 3D simulations of healthy walking and kinematic models of common prosthesis like the 3R60. However, they have not yet been combined....

Steering feedback fidelity in driving simulators

Over the past decades, the technological improvements in computing power, software and projection systems enabled driving simulators to become a cost-effective tool to perform research activities and train novel drivers. Today, driving simulators are widely used for studying the interaction of driver and vehicle system, developing new vehicles...

Separating background activity from noise in EMG using a neuromuscular model

To objectively diagnose the severity of spasticity, it is important to measure the muscle activity accurately. Filtered EMG has an offset above zero which is part noise and part background activity. The goal of this study is to separate these two parts, using a non-linear neuromuscular ankle model. The model uses positional and EMG data as...

The effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy on neural and non-neural contributors to ankle joint resistance to imposed movement in patients with chronic muscle hypertonia

<i>Introduction.</i> Increased joint resistance to imposed movement (“muscle hypertonia”) is a common finding in patients with an upper motor neuron syndrome, following stroke. Contributors to muscle hypertonia are of neural (increased reflex activity) and non-neural (altered visco-elastic properties) nature. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy ...

Isometric and Dynamic Control of Neck Muscles: Reflexive contributions and muscle synergies

It is well established that the central nervous system (CNS) stabilizes the head using reflexive feedback and cocontraction. The major reflexive pathways in the neck are through muscle spindles generating the cervicocollic reflex (CCR) and through the vestibular organ generating the vestibulocollic reflex (VCR). The CNS modulates the...

Differentiation between non-neural and neural contributors to ankle joint stiffness in cerebral palsy

Background Spastic paresis in cerebral palsy (CP) is characterized by increased joint stiffness that may be of neural origin, i.e. improper muscle activation caused by e.g. hyperreflexia or non-neural origin, i.e. altered tissue viscoelastic properties (clinically: “spasticity” vs. “contracture”). Differentiation between these components is hard...