On some numerical aspects of an active strain model in cardiac mechanics

We are interested in the development, implementation and testing of an orthotropic model for cardiac contraction based on an active strain decomposition. Our model addresses the coupling of a transversely isotropic mechanical description at the cell level, with an orthotropic constitutive law for incompressible tissue at the macroscopic level. The main differences with the active stress model are addressed in detail, and a finite element discretization using Taylor-Hood and MINI elements is proposed and illustrated with numerical examples.

Segmentation of foot and ankle complex based on kinematic criteria.

Although various foot models were proposed for kinematics assessment using skin makers, no objective justification exists for the foot segmentations. This study proposed objective kinematic criteria to define which foot joints are relevant (dominant) in skin markers assessments. Among the studied joints, shank-hindfoot, hindfoot-midfoot and medial-lateral forefoot joints were found to have larger mobility than flexibility of their neighbour bonesets. The amplitude and pattern consistency of these joint angles confirmed their dominancy. Nevertheless, the consistency of the medial-lateral forefoot joint amplitude was lower. These three joints also showed acceptable sensibility to experimental errors which supported their dominancy. This study concluded that to be reliable for assessments using skin markers, the foot and ankle complex could be divided into shank, hindfoot, medial forefoot, lateral forefoot and toes. Kinematics of foot models with more segments must be more cautiously used.

Muscle moment-arms: a key element in muscle-force estimation.

A clear and rigorous definition of muscle moment-arms in the context of musculoskeletal systems modelling is presented, using classical mechanics and screw theory. The definition provides an alternative to the tendon excursion method, which can lead to incorrect moment-arms if used inappropriately due to its dependency on the choice of joint coordinates. The definition of moment-arms, and the presented construction method, apply to musculoskeletal models in which the bones are modelled as rigid bodies, the joints are modelled as ideal mechanical joints and the muscles are modelled as massless, frictionless cables wrapping over the bony protrusions, approximated using geometric surfaces. In this context, the definition is independent of any coordinate choice. It is then used to solve a muscle-force estimation problem for a simple 2D conceptual model and compared with an incorrect application of the tendon excursion method. The relative errors between the two solutions vary between 0% and 100%.

Exploring neural cell dynamics with digital holographic microscopy.

In this review, we summarize how the new concept of digital optics applied to the field of holographic microscopy has allowed the development of a reliable and flexible digital holographic quantitative phase microscopy (DH-QPM) technique at the nanoscale particularly suitable for cell imaging. Particular emphasis is placed on the original biological information provided by the quantitative phase signal. We present the most relevant DH-QPM applications in the field of cell biology, including automated cell counts, recognition, classification, three-dimensional tracking, discrimination between physiological and pathophysiological states, and the study of cell membrane fluctuations at the nanoscale. In the last part, original results show how DH-QPM can address two important issues in the field of neurobiology, namely, multiple-site optical recording of neuronal activity and noninvasive visualization of dendritic spine dynamics resulting from a full digital holographic microscopy tomographic approach.

Comparison of an EMG-based and a stress-based method to predict shoulder muscle forces.

The estimation of muscle forces in musculoskeletal shoulder models is still controversial. Two different methods are widely used to solve the indeterminacy of the system: electromyography (EMG)-based methods and stress-based methods. The goal of this work was to evaluate the influence of these two methods on the prediction of muscle forces, glenohumeral load and joint stability after total shoulder arthroplasty. An EMG-based and a stress-based method were implemented into the same musculoskeletal shoulder model. The model replicated the glenohumeral joint after total shoulder arthroplasty. It contained the scapula, the humerus, the joint prosthesis, the rotator cuff muscles supraspinatus, subscapularis and infraspinatus and the middle, anterior and posterior deltoid muscles. A movement of abduction was simulated in the plane of the scapula. The EMG-based method replicated muscular activity of experimentally measured EMG. The stress-based method minimised a cost function based on muscle stresses. We compared muscle forces, joint reaction force, articular contact pressure and translation of the humeral head. The stress-based method predicted a lower force of the rotator cuff muscles. This was partly counter-balanced by a higher force of the middle part of the deltoid muscle. As a consequence, the stress-based method predicted a lower joint load (16% reduced) and a higher superior-inferior translation of the humeral head (increased by 1.2 mm). The EMG-based method has the advantage of replicating the observed cocontraction of stabilising muscles of the rotator cuff. This method is, however, limited to available EMG measurements. The stress-based method has thus an advantage of flexibility, but may overestimate glenohumeral subluxation.

An active strain electromechanical model for cardiac tissue

We propose a finite element approximation of a system of partial differential equations describing the coupling between the propagation of electrical potential and large deformations of the cardiac tissue. The underlying mathematical model is based on the active strain assumption, in which it is assumed that a multiplicative decomposition of the deformation tensor into a passive and active part holds, the latter carrying the information of the electrical potential propagation and anisotropy of the cardiac tissue into the equations of either incompressible or compressible nonlinear elasticity, governing the mechanical response of the biological material. In addition, by changing from an Eulerian to a Lagrangian configuration, the bidomain or monodomain equations modeling the evolution of the electrical propagation exhibit a nonlinear diffusion term. Piecewise quadratic finite elements are employed to approximate the displacements field, whereas for pressure, electrical potentials and ionic variables are approximated by piecewise linear elements. Various numerical tests performed with a parallel finite element code illustrate that the proposed model can capture some important features of the electromechanical coupling, and show that our numerical scheme is efficient and accurate.

A systems view of risk factors for knee osteoarthritis reveals insights into the pathogenesis of the disease.

Early detection of osteoarthritis (OA) remains a critical yet unsolved multifaceted problem. To address the multifaceted nature of OA a systems model was developed to consolidate a number of observations on the biological, mechanical and structural components of OA and identify features common to the primary risk factors for OA (aging, obesity and joint trauma) that are present prior to the development of clinical OA. This analysis supports a unified view of the pathogenesis of OA such that the risk for developing OA emerges when one of the components of the disease (e.g., mechanical) becomes abnormal, and it is the interaction with the other components (e.g., biological and/or structural) that influences the ultimate convergence to cartilage breakdown and progression to clinical OA. The model, applied in a stimulus-response format, demonstrated that a mechanical stimulus at baseline can enhance the sensitivity of a biomarker to predict cartilage thinning in a 5 year follow-up in patients with knee OA. The systems approach provides new insight into the pathogenesis of the disease and offers the basis for developing multidisciplinary studies to address early detection and treatment at a stage in the disease where disease modification has the greatest potential for a successful outcome.

Improving anterior deltoid activity in a musculoskeletal shoulder model - an analysis of the torque-feasible space at the sternoclavicular joint.

Modelling the shoulder's musculature is challenging given its mechanical and geometric complexity. The use of the ideal fibre model to represent a muscle's line of action cannot always faithfully represent the mechanical effect of each muscle, leading to considerable differences between model-estimated and in vivo measured muscle activity. While the musculo-tendon force coordination problem has been extensively analysed in terms of the cost function, only few works have investigated the existence and sensitivity of solutions to fibre topology. The goal of this paper is to present an analysis of the solution set using the concepts of torque-feasible space (TFS) and wrench-feasible space (WFS) from cable-driven robotics. A shoulder model is presented and a simple musculo-tendon force coordination problem is defined. The ideal fibre model for representing muscles is reviewed and the TFS and WFS are defined, leading to the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a solution. The shoulder model's TFS is analysed to explain the lack of anterior deltoid (DLTa) activity. Based on the analysis, a modification of the model's muscle fibre geometry is proposed. The performance with and without the modification is assessed by solving the musculo-tendon force coordination problem for quasi-static abduction in the scapular plane. After the proposed modification, the DLTa reaches 20% of activation.

Effect of partial-thickness tear on loading capacities of the supraspinatus tendon: a finite element analysis.

Partial-thickness tears of the supraspinatus tendon frequently occur at its insertion on the greater tubercule of the humerus, causing pain and reduced strength and range of motion. The goal of this work was to quantify the loss of loading capacity due to tendon tears at the insertion area. A finite element model of the supraspinatus tendon was developed using in vivo magnetic resonance images data. The tendon was represented by an anisotropic hyperelastic constitutive law identified with experimental measurements. A failure criterion was proposed and calibrated with experimental data. A partial-thickness tear was gradually increased, starting from the deep articular-sided fibres. For different values of tendon tear thickness, the tendon was mechanically loaded up to failure. The numerical model predicted a loss in loading capacity of the tendon as the tear thickness progressed. Tendon failure was more likely when the tendon tear exceeded 20%. The predictions of the model were consistent with experimental studies. Partial-thickness tears below 40% tear are sufficiently stable to persist physiotherapeutic exercises. Above 60% tear surgery should be considered to restore shoulder strength.