Research Projects

Prediction of Shoulder Injury for Disease Prevention in Children and Adults with Spinal Cord Injury Using Advanced Biomechanical Modeling and Diagnostic Imaging

Aim

Manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI) present significant secondary medical conditions such as pain, musculoskeletal dysfunction, and overuse injuries throughout their lifespan. This proposal seeks to determine the relationships among age of SCI onset, variability of shoulder joint dynamics, wheelchair propulsion patterns, pain, and pathology in children and adults for enhanced health and quality of life. These findings are essential for developing targeted strategies to prevent and treat symptoms of overuse transitionally from childhood to adulthood and over the lifespan in persons with SCI.

Collaborators

Shriners Hospitals for Children-Chicago, Medical College of Wisconsin, Virginia Commonwealth University, Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, Northwestern University

Support

1R01HD098698, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)

Development of TransKinect: A Clinically Robust System for Transfer Assessment

Aim

This study seeks to develop an automated transfer assessment system for clinical settings that can help therapists and their patients to identify improper transfer motions and provide guidance on how to improve their technique.

Collaborators

University of Pittburgh, Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI

Support

1 I01 RX002794-01A2 Department of Veterans Affairs, Rehabilitation Research and Development Service (RR&D)

Enabling Kinematic Joint Profiling Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Aims

This study seeks to develop methods for quantitative kinematic profiling of the hand and wrist joints using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Our hypothesis is that such profiling of moving joints can highlight dysfunction, treatment progress, and point towards favorable surgical interventions. At a high level, it is envisioned that the proposed kinematic profiles could fit into clinical management workflows much in the same way as blood biomarker panels. We seek to establish fundamental methods that can provide simple and easily digestible kinematic imaging reports with data acquired in a short scan interval using conventional clinical MRI equipment.

Collaborators

Medical College of Wisconsin, Center for Imaging Research, Department of Radiology

Support

National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Kinematic Evaluation of Upper Extremity Movement in Children with Brachial Plexus Palsy (BPP)

Aim

To objectively evaluate activities of daily living in children with brachial plexus palsy to inform surgical intervention.

Collaborators

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Support

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Motion Analysis Lab

Defining the Biomedical Phenotype in Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS)

Aim

To characterize biomechanical metrics and balance during gait and mobility in children with hEDS, a heritable connective tissue disorder.

Collaborators

Medical College of Wisconsin, Children’s Wisconsin, Genetics Center

Support

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, College of Health Sciences, Stimulus Program to Accelerate Research Clusters (SPARC)

IntelliWheels: The Automatic Transmission for Manually Propelled Wheelchairs

Aim

To develop a multi-speed geared wheel system for manual wheelchair users. This system will enhance function while reducing joint forces and moments through a multi-gearing mechanism.

Collaborators

IntelliWheels, Inc., TiLite, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI

Support

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)

Pre-Operative Versus Post-Operative Kinematic And Muscle Activation Assessment Of The Upper Extremity Following Rotator Cuff Repair

Aim

The overall goal of this study is to identify compensatory upper extremity joint motions and muscle recruitment patterns before repair an post-operative recovery employing a novel combination of kinematic analyses, EMG, and upper extremity forward simulations.

Collaborators

Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Support

Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

A Comparative Analysis of Shoulder Biomechanics in Able-Bodied and Wheelchair Lacrosse Players

Aim

To characterize the biomechanics of overhead throwing in able-bodied lacrosse players and wheelchair lacrosse players with spinal cord injury (SCI). The long-term goal is to quantify joint dynamics that may be risk factors for shoulder injury in wheelchair lacrosse and to contribute to the development of the Wheelchair Lacrosse USA Official Rule Book from a musculoskeletal perspective. The intent of this research is to protect athletes from potential injury due to altered shoulder demands required in wheelchair lacrosse.

Collaborators

Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI

Support

Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation