Development and Evaluation of a Subject-Specific Lower Limb Model With an Eleven-Degrees-of-Freedom Natural Knee Model Using Magnetic Resonance and Biplanar X-Ray Imaging During a Quasi-Static Lunge.

Musculoskeletal (MS) models can be used to study the muscle, ligament, and joint mechanics of natural knees. However, models that both capture subject-specific geometry and contain a detailed joint model do not currently exist. This study aims to first develop magnetic resonance image (MRI)-based subject-specific models with a detailed natural knee joint capable of simultaneously estimating in vivo ligament, muscle, tibiofemoral (TF), and patellofemoral (PF) joint contact forces and secondary joint kinematics. Then, to evaluate the models, the predicted secondary joint kinematics were compared to in vivo joint kinematics extracted from biplanar X-ray images (acquired using slot scanning technology) during a quasi-static lunge. To construct the models, bone, ligament, and cartilage structures were segmented from MRI scans of four subjects. The models were then used to simulate lunges based on motion capture and force place data. Accurate estimates of TF secondary joint kinematics and PF translations were found: translations were predicted with a mean difference (MD) and standard error (SE) of 2.13 ± 0.22 mm between all trials and measures, while rotations had a MD ± SE of 8.57 ± 0.63 deg. Ligament and contact forces were also reported. The presented modeling workflow and the resulting knee joint model have potential to aid in the understanding of subject-specific biomechanics and simulating the effects of surgical treatment and/or external devices on functional knee mechanics on an individual level.

Accuracy between optical and inertial motion capture systems for assessing trunk speed during preferred gait and transition periods.

Motion capture through inertial sensors is becoming popular, but its accuracy to describe kinematics during changes in walking speed is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of trunk speed extracted using an inertial motion system compared to a gold standard optical motion system, during steady walking and stationary periods. Eleven participants walked on pre-established paths marked on the floor. Between each lap, a 1-second stationary transition period at the initial position was included prior to the next lap. Resultant trunk speed during the walking and transition periods were extracted from an inertial (240 Hz sampling rate) and an optical system (120 Hz sampling rate) to calculate the agreement (Pearson's correlation coefficient) and relative root mean square errors between both systems. The agreement for the resultant trunk speed between the inertial system and the optical system was strong (0.67 < r ≤ 0.9) for both walking and transition periods. Moreover, relative root mean square error during the transition periods was greater in comparison to the walking periods (>40% across all paths). It was concluded that trunk speed extracted from inertial systems have fair accuracy during walking, but the accuracy was reduced in the transition periods.