Seminar: Use of Imaging and Computational Biomechanics to Inform Orthopedic Interventions

Abstract:

An understanding of functional in vivo tissue mechanics is fundamental to the design and evaluation of clinical interventions that are used to treat musculoskeletal disorders. Our group has been using a combination of dynamic imaging and computational models to assess joint loading patterns under functionally relevant conditions. We will describe advances in dynamic MRI that can be used to measure musculoskeletal motion and cartilage loading patterns during voluntary movement. Such information is important for improving the fidelity of biomechanical models, and can also be used to directly probe the effects of injury on in vivo tissue function. We will also introduce a co-simulation framework for simulating joint level tissue mechanics within the context of whole body movement. The computational tools allow one to predict the effects of soft tissue manipulations on internal joint behavior in locomotion tasks such as walking. The application of these imaging and computational tools for investigating the orthopedic treatment of knee ligament tears and pediatric gait disorders will be discussed.

Bio:

Darryl Thelen received the B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University in 1987 and the M.S.E. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan in 1988 and 1992, respectively.  He has been on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2002, where he is currently a Professor in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. His research interests are in neuromuscular biomechanics, a field at the interface of engineering mechanics, orthopedics and rehabilitation medicine. Current projects involve the use of computational dynamics, controls and dynamic imaging to investigate the influence of injury, aging and treatment on musculoskeletal function and health. His research activities have been supported by NSF, NIH and a number of private foundations.

Hosted by Professor Robert Siston