CAREER: Restoring Musculoskeletal Function by Designing Implantable Passive Mechanisms

Oregon State University, Corvallis OR

Investigators

Abstract

1554739 Balasubramanian This project designs miniature implantable mechanisms for attaching muscles to tendons and bone in orthopedic surgery. The implants take the form of passive mechanisms, such as soft tendon networks, pulleys, and linkages. Instead of directly attaching muscles to tendons and bone using sutures, a surgeon can use the passive implants to re-route and re-arrange how a patient's tendons create movement at the joint. By doing so, the implants enable increased force or range of motion at a joint using the patient's own muscles and without using any external power or electronics. Overall, the implants enable new surgeries that provide the patient improved and customized manipulation and locomotion function when compared with the current suture-based surgical paradigm. In terms of impact, this project is expected improve quality of life for the disabled, seniors, and veterans, lead to new research in allied areas such as biomaterials and bioethics, and lead to new medical devices. The research develops a framework for the design of such implantable mechanisms after quantifying the movement deficits that arise in the current suture-based surgical paradigm. In particular, this project develops implants for two surgical applications: an implant that differentially distributes forces and movement from one muscle to multiple tendons for use in a hand surgery to restore grasping capability following median-ulnar nerve palsy; and an implant that scales up forces for use in a foot surgery to restore the collapsed foot arch. The implants will be validated through biomechanical simulations, human and animal cadaver experiments, and live-animal experiments. This project integrates this research with extensive educational activities. Specifically, this project creates new curricula using hands-on open source hardware and software to train the next generation of leaders at the middle-school, high-school, undergraduate, graduate, and teacher levels in understanding the mechanics of human body movement and using robotics to improve human body movement. The project also includes outreach programs to increase participation of women and under-represented minorities in the STEM fields within a culture of inclusivity and equality.