Using personalized musculoskeletal simulations based on ultrasound derived muscle-tendon unit parameters to evaluate the effect of interventions in children with cerebral palsy

My postdoctoral application builds on the novel 3D ultrasound framework to study muscle and tendon properties (MT) in children with cerebral palsy (CP), developed and validated during my PhD. Assessment of one plantar flexor (medial gastrocnemius) using this framework has led to important new insights on changes in muscle morphology with growth. Yet the relation between altered MT properties and gait impairments in CP, as well as the effect of common treatments on MT function, are poorly understood. The overall aim of the FWO-project is to extend the framework to investigate the effect of treatments (tone reduction and strength training) on MT function during gait. To this aim, I will extend the ultrasound framework for all plantar flexor muscles and develop a method to estimate MT morphological and elastic properties based on the ultrasound images. I will than use this data to individualise musculoskeletal models of CP children allowing a more accurate analysis of MT function during walking.