Spine script & Research Project

Dear group,

I have just joined this group after coming across a paper by Zee et
al. (2003). I am preparing a research project to determine the effect
of the mechanics of the pelvis on lumbar spine mechanics during
running gait. Before I spend time learning the anyscript language,
can anyone tell me if the lumbar spine model is complete? And
what parameters may be inputted into the present spine model?

Many thanks for your help in advance, best wishes,

Karl Cooke

Karl Cooke
Human Performance Laboratory
School of Health & Social Sciences
Middlesex University
Highgate Hill, London N19 5LW
United Kingdom
Tel. +44 (0)20 84114355

Dear Karl,

Thanks for your interest in the lumbar spine model. For the other
members of this group, the paper Karl is referring to can be downloaded
from:

http://www.ime.auc.dk/~mdz/pdf/DeZee_et_al_zaragoza.pdf

In a very short time we will have a first version ready of the lumbar
spine model. This one will be available from the repository on the
AnyBody website. This model will include most muscles of the lumbar
part. You should be aware of the following facts:

  • The model is not evaluated. We are planning on doing some experiments
    in the beginning of next year. This of course doesn’t mean that you
    couldn’t use it, but maybe a sort of validation is needed for your own
    purpose.
  • The muscles do not include the force-length-velocity relations (i.e.
    we use the socalled simple muscle model). The only input parameter in
    the muscle model is the cross-sectional area multiplied by a factor. At
    the moment we use a specific muscle tension of 46 N/cm2. Daggfeldt and
    Thorstensson (J.Biomech. 2003, 36: 815-825) didn’t include the
    force-length-velocity relations either.
  • In the paper we wrote that we include ligaments, but we have to
    exclude those in the first version of the spine model, because we do not
    have the necessary mechanical properties. This is however not a problem,
    because it has been shown that the torque production from ligaments
    might not be very important (Cholewicki and McGill, J.Biomech. 1992, 25:
    17-28).
    -The mechanical effect of the intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) will not be
    included on short term, but we’ll work on it.

A model like our lumbar spine model has certainly room for improvement.
That is also one of the reasons, that we really would like other
research groups to use and scrutinize our model.

Best regards,

Mark de Zee, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor
Aalborg University, Institute of Mechanical Engineering
Pontoppidanstraede 101, Aalborg East,9220 Denmark
Phone: +4596359317, Fax: +4598151675
E-mail: mdz@ime.auc.dk
Homepage: http://www.ime.auc.dk/~mdz/
The AnyBody Group: http://anybody.auc.dk

Karl Cooke wrote:

>Dear group,
>
>I have just joined this group after coming across a paper by Zee et
>al. (2003). I am preparing a research project to determine the effect
>of the mechanics of the pelvis on lumbar spine mechanics during
>running gait. Before I spend time learning the anyscript language,
>can anyone tell me if the lumbar spine model is complete? And
>what parameters may be inputted into the present spine model?
>
>Many thanks for your help in advance, best wishes,
>
>Karl Cooke
>
>
>Karl Cooke
>Human Performance Laboratory
>School of Health & Social Sciences
>Middlesex University
>Highgate Hill, London N19 5LW
>United Kingdom
>Tel. +44 (0)20 84114355
>
>
>


Mark de Zee, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor
Aalborg University, Institute of Mechanical Engineering
Pontoppidanstraede 101, Aalborg East,9220 Denmark
Phone: +4596359317, Fax: +4598151675
E-mail: mdz@ime.auc.dk
The AnyBody Group: http://anybody.auc.dk

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