Multidisciplinary approaches to quantifying musculoskeletal movement pathologies

When paired together, in-vivo biomechanics, musculoskeletal modeling, and medical imaging provide the platform to further the pathomechanical understanding of the effects of subject-specific movement compensations (namely muscle-driven forces and motion) to overuse injuries. By quantifying these effects, we can begin to clarify the multiscale contributors to symptomology, mechanics and joint damage. Furthermore, through computational modeling, we can begin to explore the effects of simulated surgery or non-surgical interventions on joint mechanics, both of which are hindered by a lack of empirical data. By quantifying the effects of movement pathology, as well as the effects of intervention(s) on the musculoskeletal system, we can improve both diagnostics as well as the efficacy of treatments.

This seminar will provide examples of these tools used to quantify the effects of movement pathology in two representative patient populations: patients with lower extremity amputation and pre-arthritic hip conditions. In addition, this seminar will highlight the use of high-throughput computing on the Open Science Grid to simulate the effects of intervention within a computationally efficient probabilistic workflow.