No abstract

No abstract

Quantifying joint congruence may help to understand the relationship between joint function and health. In previous studies, a congruence index (CI) has been used to define subject-specific joint congruence. However, the sensitivity of the CI algorithm to surface representation was unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of applying five modifications (M1-M5) to the CI algorithm to determine whether the magnitude and variability of the patellofemoral CI is dependent on the surface representation used. The five modifications focused on calculating the CI based on the principal curvature (M1) at the centroid of the contact region, (M2) using an root mean square value for the contact region, (M3) using a mean value for the contact region, (M4) using all digitized points of the patellar surface, and (M5) using all digitized points in contact. The CI found using the contact area (M1, M2, M3, and M5) provides a local measure for congruence, which was shown to increase (decreasing CI) with increasing joint angle. In ten healthy subjects measured with magnetic resonance (MR) images, the patellofemoral joint became significantly more congruent as the knee angle increased from 15 deg to 45 deg using method M5. The magnitude and variability of the patellofemoral CI was dependent on the surface representation used, suggesting that standardization of the surface representation is important to provide a consistent measure. Specifically, M5 provides a local measure of joint congruence, which can account for joint position and orientation. M5 balances the ability to detect differences in congruence between knee angles without introducing high variability.

No abstract

The effectiveness of clinical measures to predict scoliotic progression is unclear. The objective of this study was to identify potential prognostic factors affecting scoliosis progression. Consecutive measurements (181) from 35 non-instrumented adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients with at least two follow-up assessments were studied. Potential prognostic factors of gender, curve pattern, age, curve magnitude, apex location and lateral deviation and spinal growth were analyzed. Stable and progressed groups were compared (threshold: Cobb angle ≥5° or 10°) with sequential clinical data collected in 6-month intervals. Double curves progressed simultaneously or alternatively on curve regions. Age was not significantly different prior to and at maximal Cobb angle. Maximal Cobb angles were significantly correlated to initial Cobb angles (r = 0.81-0.98). Progressed males had larger initial Cobb angles than progressed females. Apex locations were higher in progressed than stable groups, and at least a half vertebra level higher in females than males. Maximal apex lateral deviations correlated significantly with the initial ones (r = 0.73-0.97) and moderately with maximal Cobb angles (r = 0.33-0.85). In the progressed groups, males had larger apex lateral deviations than females. Spinal growth did not relate to curve progression (r = -0.64 to +0.59) and was not significantly different between groups and genders. Scoliosis may dynamically progress between major and minor curves. Gender, curve magnitude, apex location and lateral deviation have stronger effects on scoliosis progression than age or spinal growth. Females with high apex locations may be expected to progress.

A custom knee loading apparatus (KLA), when used in conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging, enables in vivo measurement of the gross anterior laxity of the knee joint. A numerical model was applied to the KLA to understand the contribution of the individual joint structures and to estimate the stiffness of the anterior-cruciate ligament (ACL). The model was evaluated with a cadaveric study using an in situ knee loading apparatus and an ElectroForce test system. A constrained optimization solution technique was able to predict the restraining forces within the soft-tissue structures and joint contact. The numerical model presented here allowed in vivo prediction of the material stiffness parameters of the ACL in response to applied anterior loading. Promising results were obtained for in vivo load sharing within the structures. The numerical model overestimated the ACL forces by 27.61-92.71%. This study presents a novel approach to estimate ligament stiffness and provides the basis to develop a robust and accurate measure of in vivo knee joint laxity.

Abstract. High-Speed Biplanar Videoradiography (HSBV) is an X-ray based non-invasive imaging system that can be used to derive dynamic bony translations and rotations. The 2D-3D registration process matches a 3D bone model acquired from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scans with the 2D X-ray image pairs. This study focuses on the registration of MRI data as it can acquire detailed soft tissue contrast that cannot be easily discerned in CT scans. A novel 2D-3D registration method is reported in this paper that is suitable for the MRI-based bone models with high precision and high efficiency. In addition, an automatic initialization procedure with 64 starting poses is established to avoid user intervention in the registration. The method has been tested using the HSBV image sequence of a knee joint during walking. Thirty-five consecutive poses from the sequence were tested for the registration, and 50 non-consecutive poses randomly selected from the sequence were tested for the automatic initialization. The registration precision for each axis was 0.49 to 0.54 mm. For the initialization validation test, 48 over 50 frames were successfully initialized and two failed due to portions of the joint falling outside of the field-of-view of the system. The average time for each initialization is only about 6 min. The improved 2D-3D registration will allow determination of precise 3D kinematic parameters with high efficiency. These kinematic parameters can be used to calculate joint cartilage contact mechanics that provide insight into the mechanical processes and mechanisms of joint degeneration or pathology.

No abstract