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Project

Improved understanding of gait compensations to explore new pathways of gait rehabilitation in growing children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) causes progressive muscle impairment, leading to complex gait compensations. The underlying mechanisms of these gait compensations are poorly understood, hampering rehabilitation. Here, we will use a blended experimental and computational approach to investigate the relation between muscle impairments and gait compensations and to design orthotics that might delay loss of ambulation. Our ongoing research suggests that the interaction between muscle stiffness and weakness, and not only weakness as is commonly believed, explains different stages in gait compensations as children grow. I will first delineate the gait stages with underlying muscle impairments, by exploiting and enriching a longitudinal DMD database. Next, I will determine thresholds in muscle weakness and stiffness that cause transitions between gait stages by musculoskeletal modeling. Finally, I will use predictive simulations to design a tailored orthotic support that might delay the transitions between gait stages and will provide proof of concept for this approach by pilot testing. By determining the specific muscle impairments that trigger the transition to a more affected gait pattern, this project will identify new therapeutic targets to improve the quality of life of DMD children through prolonged ambulation.

 

Date:1 Oct 2018 →  Today
Keywords:Duchenne muscular dystrophy, ultrasound, gait analysis, strength
Disciplines:Orthopaedics, Human movement and sports sciences, Rehabilitation sciences
Project type:PhD project