Publications by Colleges and Departments (MSU - Bozeman)
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Item Procedures for obtaining muscle physiology parameters during a gracilis free-functioning muscle transfer in adult patients with brachial plexus injury(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2022-04) Persad, Lomas S.; Ates, Filiz; Evertz, Loribeth Q.; Litchy, William J.; Lieber, Richard L.; Kaufman, Kenton R.; Shin, Alexander Y.A complete understanding of muscle mechanics allows for the creation of models that closely mimic human muscle function so they can be used to study human locomotion and evaluate surgical intervention. This includes knowledge of muscle–tendon parameters required for accurate prediction of muscle forces. However, few studies report experimental data obtained directly from whole human muscle due to the invasive nature of these experiments. This article presents an intraoperative, in vivo measurement protocol for whole muscle–tendon parameters that include muscle–tendon unit length, sarcomere length, passive tension, and active tension in response to external stimulation. The advantage of this protocol is the ability to obtain these rare experimental data in situ in addition to muscle volume and weight since the gracilis is also completely removed from the leg. The entire protocol including the surgical steps for gracilis harvest takes ~ 3 h. Actual testing of the gracilis where experimental data is measured takes place within a 30-min window during surgery.Item Quantifying National Biomechanics Day’s Impact on Student Perceptions toward Biomechanics: A Multisite Pilot Study(Elsevier BV, 2021-12) Monfort, Scott M.; Bigelow, Kimberly E.; Vallabhajosula, Srikant; Evertz, Loribeth Q.; Becker, James N.; Wittstein, Matthew W.; Gannon, Paul; DeVita, PaulNational Biomechanics Day (NBD) is an international celebration of biomechanics that seeks to increase the awareness and appreciation of biomechanics among the high school community. Initial research supports the positive effects of NBD on students’ attitudes toward the field of biomechanics; however, quantitative evidence remains scarce. The purpose of this study was to quantify changes in high school students’ perceptions toward biomechanics after participating in NBD events to better understand the impact of NBD. Data were collected at two locations during the 2019 NBD season. Surveys were collected before and after NBD events for 112 high school students from Montana and North Carolina. Paired pre- versus post-NBD surveys for the aggregate sample population suggest that students perceived biomechanics as more appealing (p = 0.050), exciting (p = 0.007), and important (p = 0.018) following the NBD events. Students did not report a change in whether they could see themselves in a biomechanics-related career (p = 0.49). These findings further support the ability for NBD events to positively impact students’ perceptions toward biomechanics, although opportunities persist to increase student career interest in biomechanics. This paper presents and discusses the study’s results, interpretations, limitations, and implications for future research on biomechanics outreach activities.