Student Projects
Predicting muscle forces from spinal alignment with machine learning - towards biomechanics-informed preoperative planning
How does patient alignment influence paraspinal muscle forces? In this project, we will explore these relationship analysing existing data and establishing a machine learning model to replace complex patient analyses, and bring biomechanics closer to clinical practise.
Keywords
Spine biomechanics, statistical analysis, machine learning
Labels
Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis
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Published since: 2025-12-10 , Earliest start: 2026-01-01 , Latest end: 2026-07-31
Organization Ferguson Group / Laboratory for Orthopaedic Technology
Hosts Ignasiak Dominika
Topics Mathematical Sciences , Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Evaluation of muscle fatigue on paraspinal muscle activation patterns and spinal loads in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis
Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a condition characterized by a narrowing of the spinal canal, which can lead to compression of the lumbosacral nerve roots and/or the cauda equina. Clinical observations show that patients often adopt alternative postures and movement strategies to enlarge the spinal canal and relieve pain. These compensations likely require elevated paraspinal muscle activation may increase spinal segmental loads. Muscle fatigue may further increase compensatory posture, joint load and pain representing a vicious cycle. However, the specific implications of muscle fatigue on spinal loading in individuals with LSS remains insufficiently understood. The objective of this master thesis is to investigate how trunk muscle fatigue influences muscle recruitment patterns and spinal segmental loads in individuals with LSS. For this purpose, clinical data from 120+ patients with LSS - collected before and after a fatigue protocol - will be used to drive dynamic simulations of a full-body musculoskeletal model in the AnyBody Modeling System software.
Keywords
Spine biomechanics, musculoskeletal modeling, fatigue, trunk muscles
Labels
Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-12-02 , Earliest start: 2026-02-01 , Latest end: 2026-07-31
Organization Musculoskeletal Biomechanics
Hosts Caimi Alice
Topics Engineering and Technology