Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Steven H. Elder

Committee Member

Raj K. Prabhu

Committee Member

Reuben F. Burch

Committee Member

Harish Chander

Committee Member

David Macias

Date of Degree

8-6-2021

Original embargo terms

Worldwide

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Biomedical Engineering

Degree Name

Master of Science

College

James Worth Bagley College of Engineering

Department

Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Abstract

Computational simulations of gait under abnormal conditions provide insights into the actions of muscles, its relationships with external reaction forces and motions of the body during slips, trips, and falls - the leading causes of occupational injuries worldwide. OpenSimTM, an open-source motion simulation software, was utilized to construct musculoskeletal structures and create dynamic simulations of body movements. Gaits of eighteen subjects were studied to extract experimentally difficult-to-obtained variables under slippery conditions. The joint angles and moments of hip, knee, ankle and the forces of four prime muscle groups were analyzed for body corrective movements during slip events. Besides, the connections between one's perception of the surrounding environment and their postural alterations to prevent falls are also discussed. Hence, this study provides a better understanding on the joint angles, moments and muscle forces of human body, evaluates the movement deviations, and contributes to the development of predictive injury thresholds during slip events.

Sponsorship

National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP) under NSF 18-511 — Partnerships for Innovation award number 1827652.

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