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Mechanical Testing of Musculoskeletal Joints

The BioRobotics Core at the Cleveland Clinic has several robotic systems considered musculoskeletal simulators. Mechanical testing of knee joints will be performed using a simVitro System. This system includes:

• A 6 DOF robot (Rotopod R­2000) with a rotary stage mounted to the top to yeild a 7th DOF for increased range of motion.
• An Optotrak motion tracking system to digitize the robotic system hardware, specimen anatomy, and to create and control motions and loads in a Grood and Suntay knee joint coordinate system specific to the specimen.
• A universal force sensor (UFS) to measure the tibia loads.

This system allows the robot to operate in real-time force feedback control, as well as position control, so that loading trajectories can be applied to determine joint kinetic and kinematic responses.

Websites

http://mds.clevelandclinic.org/Services/BioRobotics.aspx

• http://mds.clevelandclinic.org/Services/BioRobotics/Portfolio.aspx?n=248

Documentation (source code)

http://www.febio.org/source/doxygen/

Key publication

Noble LD, Jr., Colbrunn RW, Lee DG, van den Bogert AJ, Davis BL. Design and validation of a general purpose robotic testing system for musculoskeletal applications. J Biomech Eng. 2010;132(2):025001.[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20370251 Abstract in PubMed].

Characterization of Tissue Mechanical Properties