In our laboratory, we use musculoskeletal biomechanics to understand the effects of aging, disease, and personal characteristics on physical function and risk of injury. We are particularly focused on the biomechanics of the human thoracolumbar spine, and seek to evaluate and understand the motion and loading of the spine in a wide variety of conditions.
Our lab created the first musculoskeletal model of thoracolumbar spine, enabling estimates of loading throughout the spine. Our models are implemented in the musculoskeletal modeling software OpenSim, and freely available for download here: Thoracolumbar Models in OpenSim
We have gained significant expertise in creating person-specific musculoskeletal models using CT imaging, motion analysis measurements, and other subject information. As part of these efforts, we have created a database of person-specific models of 250 individuals (125 men, 125 women, ages 41 - 90) from the Framingham Heart Study, uniquely enabling biomechanical analyses in a population-based sample. This database is available here: BIDMC Spine Modeling Dataverse
Our current research is examining spine biomechanics in the context of vertebral fractures, back support exosuits, spinal stenosis, neuromuscular control of the trunk, and spine metastases, among others. Check out the left menu for more details!