Sharif Digital Repository

According to epidemiological studies, low back pain is the most prevalent musculoskeletal disease thus indicating the important role of biomechanical engineers to manage risk of injury. Different quantitative (i.e., biomechanical models) and qualitative (empirical) assessment tools are used to evaluate risk of musculoskeletal injuries. The present study uses various quantitative and qualitative risk assessment tools to investigate the risk of injury among workers in Iran Khodro Automaker company (IKCO) assembly hall No. 3 (Pars Peugeot car assembly). Moreover, different engineering and administrative interventions are suggested to manage risk of musculoskeletal injuries when needed. The... 

Passive finite element (FE) models of the spine are commonly used to simulate intact and various pre- and postoperative pathological conditions. Being devoid of muscles, these traditional passive FE models are driven by simplistic loading scenarios, e.g., a constant moment and compressive follower load (FL) that do not properly mimic the complex in vivo loading condition of the spine under muscle exertions. The present works therefore aims to develop novel passive FE models that are driven by more realistic yet simple loading scenarios, i.e., in vivo measured vertebral rotations and pathological-condition dependent FLs (estimated based on detailed musculoskeletal finite element (MS-FE) spine... 

We have recently designed/fabricated novel bilateral vertebra- and patient-specific drill guides for pedicle screw (PS) placements and tested their accuracy for both nondeformed and deformed thoracic spines. PS placement deviations from their preplanned positions significantly reduced when guide template were used; the success rate improved from ~72% (freehand placements) to 94% (guided placements). In the present study, we aim to use finite element (FE) analyses to evaluate the pull-out strength of these PSs inserted via either the freehand technique or our drill-guide templates. Two 3D-printed T1-T12 thoracic models of a severe scoliosis patient with a 47° thoracic dextro-scoliotic curve... 

Biomechanical models require body posture to evaluate the risk of musculoskeletal injuries during daily/occupational activities like manual material handling (MMH). The procedure to measure body posture via motion-analysis techniques is complex, time-consuming, and limited to equipped laboratories. This study aims to develop an easy-to-use yet accurate model that predict human whole-body static posture (3D body coordinates and anatomical joint angles) during different MMH activities. Twenty healthy male right-handed individuals with body mass index between 18 and 26 performed 204 symmetric and asymmetric MMH activities. Each person reached (i.e., without any load in hands) the destinations... 

Body posture is an essential input of musculoskeletal models that evaluate spinal loads in occupational activities. Posture is either measured in vivo via video-camera motion capture systems or predicted via artificial neural networks (ANNs) [1]. As video-camera measurements are impractical for use in real workstations, we have recently developed an ANN that predicts full-body posture during one- and two-handed static load-handling activities. This ANN, trained based on the posture data of 20 subjects each performing 204 static load-handling activities, uses 3D coordinates of the hand-load, body weight, and body height of the worker to predict 3D coordinates of 41 full-body skin markers. The... 

Ground reaction forces (GRFs) and their centers of pressure (CoPs) are essential inputs in musculoskeletal models of the spine that study load-lifting tasks. While GRFs and CoPs are usually measured in vivo via force-plates, they can be predicted based on motion equations, developed in AnyBody Modelling System (AMS) thus eliminating the need for laboratory equipment and in vivo measurements. This study aims to develop an easy-to-use yet accurate model that predict GRFs and CoPs during different Manual Material Handling (MMH) activities using AnyBody Modelling System and artificial neural networks. First, the accuracy of the AMS GRF prediction algorithm was evaluated for 8 normal- and 4... 

One of the main causes of low back pain is mechanical loads acting on it. These loads can be measured by in vivo measurement using force and pressure sensors. Although this method leads to accurate results, it is invasive and costly. Currently the only noninvasive way to estimate these loads is to utilize biomechanical models. Using these models requires body posture as an input. Imaging techniques are suitable for determining the posture accurately, but these equipments are expensive and often impractical. So today posture prediction models are used as an alternative cost effective with acceptable accuracy. These mechanisms predict body posture using body mass, height, position and the... 

pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal (MS) disorders and the most important cause of functional disability in developed and developing countries. Several studies showed that the most important factor in development of the low back pain is loads and stresses in different parts of the spine. While non-invasive measurement of these internal loads and stresses, as a tool to estimate the risk of injury, is very difficult and costly, biomechanical models of the spine are the best meansfor analyzing the risk of injury in various in-vivo activities. In order to develop a spine model, it is necessary to measure the kinematics of the vertebrae for the specified activity. In previous studies,... 

80% of people in all over the world, experience Low Back Pain (LBP) once in their lives. LBP leads to dysfunction of spine. About 25% of LBP relates to the intervertebral disks which in the critical cases, a Posterior Lumbar Surgery (PLS) on the one or more lumbar disks should be done. Due to the some procedure such as retracting, cutting or denervation of muscles, PLS can hurt trunk muscles and spine. Thus, investigation of LBP and postoperative complications of PLS can help us in recognition of causes of LBP and PLS complications and modification of PLS approaches. The objective of this research was investigation of effects of LBP and PLS on the biomechanical function of spine. Pattern of... 

Investigating the influence of shoes on variables of human biomechanics is of a high importance. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of auxetic Nike Free RN shoe on kinematics and kinetics of human body. It was asked from 11 healthy male to perform drop vertical jump in three conditions: with auxetic Nike Free RN, with conventional shoe and barefoot. 3D Cartesian positions of the markers, which were stuck to the subjects’ bodies, were recoeded using Vicon camera system. Ground reaction force and its center of pressure of each foot captured using two force plates. Moreover, activation of rectus abdominis, longissimus, iliocostalis lomburom and multifidus were recorded using... 

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a standard treatment for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by full or partial occlusion of the upper airway during sleep. CPAP pressure adjust by a sleep technologist during attended laboratory polysomnography (PSG) to eliminate obstructive respiratory-related events (apneas, hypopneas). Because of changes in environment and lifestyle patients needed new adjustments for the device that brings discomfort and extra money for treatment. In recent, lots of methods have been proposed to replace PSG and minimized the number of biological signals to detect apnea, best results came from deep... 

Biomechanical models are indispensable tools in predictions of muscle forces and joint loads towards design of prevention and treatment programs. In most of these models intervertebral joints are modeled as hinge joints thus neglecting the existing translational degrees of freedom (DOFs). This simplification can alter the results of the model as changes in model kinematics affect the prediction of the joint and muscle forces. The current study aims to evaluate the likely effect of this simplification on the predictions of the musculoskeletal model of AnyBody Modeling System (AMS) for muscle forces and spinal loads. Clinical application of this study is in assessing the limitation of... 

Due to adverse health problems with lumbar spine among professional drivers associated with exposure to whole body vibration (WBV), studying the effect of vibrations and parameters influencing WBV is of great importance. This study aims to simulate whole body vibration for a ground vehicle occupant and calculate loads that lumbar spine tolerate during harmonic sinusoidal vibrations. Moreover, this study determines the effect of lumbar spine angle, seat specifications (angles and materials), and vibration frequency on the results. To this end, a detailed viscoelastic lumbar spine (L1-S1) has been modeled using FE method which has been replaced with the simplified spine model in HYBRID III... 

In the present study, the thermal behavior of human teeth during laser radiation has been discussed. The high laser power, as well as its low emission, can allow deviations from the Fourier heat transfer model. To overcome this problem, the non- Fourier heat transfer method, dual phase lagged (DPL), has been used. Wisdom considered in this study to evaluate the thermal behavior of tooth. Using the finite volume method, the DPL equations are solved and the thermal response of the teeth is obtained during laser irradiation. The effect of delay times, which are the parameters of the DPL model and depart from the Fourier model, is fully demonstrated on the temperature behavior of the tooth, and... 

Manual material handling (MMH) activities are identified as risk factors for occupational low back pain (LBP). Task-related variables including load and posture characteristics are required as input into these models and tools for estimation of trunk external moment. Biomechanical modeling studies that aim to mathematically estimate low back loads currently need an inevitable parallel time-consuming in vivo study in an equipped laboratory to measure trunk posture under physical activities. Inertial sensors as a portable, accurate, almost inexpensive, and small device could be very helpful in order to capture the kinematic data of movement in human activities. My master thesis aims to... 

In this project we plan to propose a mechanism for controlling the profile of vertebra displacment and intera-discal pressure in in-vitro tests. Spineis the one of the most important members of the human musculoskeletal system. Health and stability of the spine help the people to moves on two legs. So any problems with this organ, causing movement problems and pain. For the treatment of spinal diseases, several methods such as surgery, insertion of implants and stabilizing were used. To ensure the accuracy of these methods, laboratory examination is essential. One of the ways to test these interventions, the implementation of in vitro tests on samples obtained from the bodies of the spine.... 

Low back pain is one of the musculoskeletal diseases which is an important issue for general health of society in both quality of life and costs. Most of the clinical instructions employ exercise as a clinical treatment in order to cure chronic low back pain. General and core stability exercises are of common prevalence, however, there are disputes about the effectiveness of these exercises in the literature. The aim of this study is to answer the question whether stabilizer exercise can significantly alter the stability of vertebral column in comparison with general exercises. Hence, experiments have been designed and conducted. The participants have been divided to two group. Within six... 

Several geometrically-detailed passive finite element (FE) models of the lumbar spine have been developed and validated under in vitro loading conditions. As these models are devoid of muscles, they are either not used to simulate in vivo activities or muscle forces are modeled by a hypothetical compressive follower load (FL). A number of symmetric and asymmetric static tasks were first simulated using a validated musculoskeletal model of the thoracolumbar spine to predict trunk muscle forces. The predicted muscle forces along with the gravity loading were then applied to a passive FE model of the L4-L5 motion segment (developed and validated here) to estimate load sharing among the disc,... 

Obesity is a worldwide growing health challenge affecting ~30% of the world's population. Increased rate of disc degeneration and herniation, low back pain and surgery has been reported in obese individuals. Although obesity-related low back diseases have multifactorial etiology, presumably greater mechanical loads on the spine of heavier individuals during their daily activities may be considered as a risk factor. Likely larger trunk muscle sizes, disc sizes and thus passive stiffness in heavier individuals may however partly or fully offset the effect of their additional body weight on the spinal loads. In absence of in vivo approaches, the present study aims to construct subject-specific... 

The main task of the spine from the mechanical point of view, withstand external loads and allow the upper body movements. Hence, as the chief cause of back pain are mechanical parameters. Inability to directly measure the forces acting on the spine as in vivo, further brings us to the use of computer models in various branches of orthopedic biomechanics leads.
The purpose of this project in the first place) to make a detailed finite element model of the L4-L5 spinal motion but, in the second place) loads imposed on it except move in a certain physical activities, taking into account the forces acting muscles (calculated by a musculoskeletal model is available) under which they operate,...