1. Biomechanics Of Musculoskeletal Systems
Almost all animals possess the ability to move. It has often been said that the success of Homo Sapiens as a species is due to their ability to combine movements that are precise, accurate, and controlled, with movements that require strength, flexibility, and endurance. Generating movement from muscle forces is performed by the musculoskeletal system. It is a direct result of the arrangement of the individual muscles and connective tissues, and the control given to them by the central nervous system. Degeneration of the neuro-musculoskeletal system with age and disease affects mobility and can seriously reduce a persons’ quality of life. One of our challenges is to better assess the impacts of these diseases on activities of daily living and on quality of life.
Current major areas of investigation are joints injuries, osteoarthritis, articular contact stresses as they relate to joint degeneration, quantitative histology, imaging biomarkers of joint’s health, joint arthroplasty, carpal tunnel syndrome, compromised bone mechanics in cancer treatment.
1.1. Orthopedic Biomechanics
Mechanics of fracture and fracture fixation, mechanics of implants and implant fixation, mechanics of bones and joints, wear of natural and artificial joints, infection.
Senior researchers
Olivier BARBIER, Olivier CORNU, Christian DELLOYE, Pierre-Louis DOCQUIER, Xavier LIBOUTON, Emmanuel THIENPONT
PhD-Students
Alexandre ENGLEBERT, Robin EVRARD, Loïc FONKOUE, Eric KOUASSI, Julie MANON, Hervé POILVACHE
Left pannels : sagittal (top) and transverse (bottom) CT scan views of thoracic vertebrae following arthrodesis of T12 for a pathological fracture. Subsequent images : paired sagittal (top) and transverse (bottom) MRI views of the thoraco-lombar region in T1, T2 with suppression of the fat signals and T1 following injection, respectively. Osteolytic destruction of T12 can be observed, with extention of the infection to the surrounding soft tissues and a large epidural leak ; Direct exam by Gram stain of articular joint fluid performed on day 25 showing branching filamentous Grampositive organism suggesting the persistence of the Nocardia infection.
Native knee model used for this study. It consists of tibial, femoral, and patellar bones (grey), cartilage layers (light blue), menisci (pink), lateral collateral ligament (red), medial collateral ligament (dark blue), cruciate ligaments (dark green), and patellar tendon (light grey).
a: pre-operative radiographs (antero-posterior, lateral, and skyline views) of a 65-year-old woman with bicompartmental knee osteoarthritis and pre-existing genu varum deformity; b: radiographs (antero-posterior, lateral, and skyline views) of the same patient three years after surgery.
Osseous synostosis, type III (A) and large fibrous union, type IV (B).
1.2 Biomechanics of movement
Motion analysis, functional evaluation of disorders on symptoms and function, on daily living activities or quality of life
Senior researchers
Olivier CORNU, Christine DETREMBLEUR, Pierre Louis DOCQUIER, Benjamin HIDALGO, Sébastien LOBET, Philippe MAHAUDENS, Anne RENDERS, Laurent PITANCE
PhD-Students
Todegnon Franck ASSOGBA, Tim CAYROL, Loïc FONKOUE, Renaud HAGE,Nicolas LAMBRICHT, Alexandre LUC, AnhPhong NGUYEN
The infrared cameras (a) are positioned so that at least two visualize each reflective marker at any given time. From the reflective markers movements we can calculate the 3D trajectories of the body segments (b).The images are then processed to derive the graphs of the kinematics, that is, the joint range of movement of each lower limb joint (c). A force platform located under the treadmill (b) records the patient’s ground reaction forces. The joint moments and powers, that is, kinetic data, (d) are derived from force platform measurements and kinematic data. Energy expenditure is measured indirectly based on the rate of oxygen consumption by the patient using an ergospirometer (e). Finally, the mechanical work is calculated as the work performed by muscles to raise and accelerate the center of body mass (external mechanical work) and to move the body segments relative to the center of body mass (internal mechanical work) (f).