CAREER: Unraveling contributions of passive and active joint stabilizers to advance fundamental knowledge of joint instability

This CAREER project will help unravel the contributions of tissues that stabilize joints. Injuries and diseases, such as osteoarthritis, can lead to joint instability that limits function and accelerates degeneration. The root cause of joint instability is not well understood because the contributions of different stabilizing tissues are intertwined. This project will advance an algorithm to understand how different tissues stabilize joints during common movements. Robotic technologies will be developed to evaluate joint and tissue properties. Educational activities will include undergraduate student design of next generation exoskeletons for use by healthcare providers and student training. These activities will enhance student’s preparation for product design in industry and translation. This integrated effort combining biomechanics, robotics, and workforce training will pave the way for future treatments to mitigate the impacts of knee instability. This CAREER project will focus on exploring the key contributions of ligaments and muscles to knee stability. Ligaments are stiff tissues that passively guide and restrain joint motion. Muscles are active tissues that generate forces to drive joint motion. The research team will develop an algorithm to identify differences in the contributions of stabilizing tissues between patients with and without knee osteoarthritis. The algorithm will be built on direct muscle tension measurements and dynamics bone motion measured with an active knee exoskeleton. The algorithm will be validated in human cadaver knees using a state-of-the-art robotic testing system. Findings from these research projects will guide student teams as they design the next generation active knee exoskeletons for translation into healthcare settings. Together, the novel algorithm in conjunction with the next generation active knee exoskeleton will enable the research and clinical communities to identify the root causes of instability and open new horizons in personalized treatment planning for conditions like osteoarthritis. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.