Musculoskeletal BiomechanicsOpen OpportunitiesLumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a condition characterized by the narrowing of the lumbar spinal canal, resulting in compression of the nerve roots or cauda equina. Patients with LSS often exhibit altered spinal kinematics and compensatory movement patterns, which can increase paraspinal muscle activity and segmental loads. This study aims to estimate the spinal loads in LSS patients using an advanced full-body musculoskeletal model within the AnyBody Modeling System, incorporating patient-specific motion-capture data. Gaining a deeper understanding of the differences in spinal kinematics between LSS patients and healthy individuals, and their effects on spinal loading, could inform more effective treatment and rehabilitation strategies. - Biomechanical Engineering
- Master Thesis
| Lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration (LDD) is estimated to affect 400M individuals worldwide annually, which causes pain and disability for the patients affected by it [1]. Continuous localized, and structural degeneration on multiple intervertebral disc (IVD) levels can progress to accumulated macroscopic deformities, manifesting in abnormal spinal curvatures, also known as Adult Spinal Deformities (ASD). LDD and spinal alignment are hypothesized to be closely interrelated, with specific alignment parameters showing mutual correlations with the degree of LDD [2].
Through analyzing longitudinal data - including X-ray-derived biplanar alignment parameters and MRI-based Pfirrmann grading - this study aims to identify extensive patterns between alignment characteristics and the individual degenerative state of lumbar IVDs. Such insights could improve our understanding of degenerative cascades and influence decision making in clinical treatment approaches by identifying alignment profiles at higher risk for degeneration. The proposed study includes a clinical cohort of degenerative lumbar back pain patients who were treated conservatively, and followed up over a period of 3-5 years, before eventually undergoing surgery at Schulthess Clinic Zurich.
This project is jointly supervised by an interdisciplinary group of researchers and clinicians of ETH Zurich and Schulthess clinic Zurich, which offers insights into fundamental spinal research, as well as daily clinical practice. Your tasks will include data annotation, model development, and collaborative discussions of results, providing a comprehensive experience in interdisciplinary research. This project offers an excellent opportunity to engage in impactful research at the intersection of biomechanics, clinical practice, and data-driven modeling.
- Biomedical Engineering, Clinical Sciences, Interdisciplinary Engineering
- Bachelor Thesis, ETH Zurich (ETHZ), Internship, Master Thesis, Semester Project
| Understanding the differences in spine kinematics between patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and those with healthy spines, along with the implications for spinal loading, could shed light on the pathophysiology of this disease and contribute to the development of more effective treatment and rehabilitation strategies. To estimate spinal loads, a novel full-body musculoskeletal model developed in AnyBody Modeling System will be used. This model will be customized to reflect subject-specific spinal alignment and will be driven by kinematic data obtained from in vivo motion-capture measurements. Inverse dynamics simulations of patient-specific spinal postures and forward flexion trials will be performed to estimate the corresponding loads. - Biomechanics
- ETH Zurich (ETHZ), Master Thesis
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