Decoding 3D Mobility

A movement disorder can have many origins, such as a birth defect, spinal cord injury, or stroke. Rehabilitation scientists facilitate treatment of mobility disorders by studying the bodily cause of physical impairments and providing a scientific basis for therapies that can improve function. The source of physical impairment is often hidden among the complex interactions of the nervous, muscle, and skeletal systems of the human body. Simulating a patient’s movement in three-dimensional computer models can help uncover the source of the problem, whether it’s the size of a particular muscle or bone or the way these components perform. Computer models also provide a visual platform on which to test whether surgery would improve mobility for a specific patient. Two years ago, researchers introduced a free software program called OpenSim, a biomechanical research platform that simulates biological movement. The program combines data on muscle size and strength, joint motion, and recorded movements of a subject to produce a highly realistic simulation of a specific person’s maneuvering.

The team is not focusing on using OpenSim to understand and treat movement disorders, including cerebral palsy. Many children with cerebral palsy walk in a crouch-like pose, with their knees excessively bent. The cause of the crouch gait, which can be exhausting, painful and even debilitating, varies from patient to patient. In some patients, the hamstring muscles are very tight and short and pull the knees bent. If the hamstrings are surgically lengthened, these patients may be able to straighten their legs and walk more easily. However, if that surgery is used on a patient who walks in a crouch gait for a different reason, the procedure could be ineffective or, worse, harmful. By creating a computer model of a patient’s movements, researchers can non-invasively explore whether the surgery would be appropriate for a specific patient. If scientists develop a biomechanical model of the hand, for example, they can add it to the center’s database, making it available to anyone who might want to build on the work—by adding it to a model of a wrist or arm, for instance.

More information:

http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/3-d-steps-up-to-decode-mobility/