Research > Professor Marcus Pandy

current projects

Non-invasive assessment of knee-joint loading during gait

Justin Fernandez, Massoud Akbarshahi, Marcus Pandy
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Melbourne

New methods in dynamic imaging such as x-ray fluoroscopy are enabling quantitative assessment and visualization of three-dimensional bone movements in vivo. When combined with computer modeling and simulation, this approach offers the potential to non-invasively evaluate the contributions of muscular, soft tissue, and external forces to in vivo joint motion. The goal of this project is to develop new methods for evaluating muscle, ligament, and joint function non-invasively. The specific objectives are (1) to accurately record three-dimensional skeletal motion using dynamic imaging methods such as x-ray fluoroscopy; and (2) to use the experimental measurements as input to a musculoskeletal model of the body to determine in vivo loading histories at the knee during gait.

Shoulder muscle function in arm movement

David Ackland, Jay Yu, Marcus Pandy
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Melbourne

The goal of this project is to study muscle function at the shoulder during arm movement. Cadaver specimens are performed to measure the lines of action, moment arms, and stabilizing potential of 18 major muscle sub-regions muscles crossing the anatomical shoulder. Moment arms are measured using the tendon excursion method. The stabilizing potential of a muscle was found by assessing its contribution to superior-inferior and anterior-posterior joint shear in the scapular and transverse planes, respectively. Data from the experiments are input into a 3D computer model of the shoulder, which is used to calculate muscle and joint loading during abduction and flexion. Changes in geometry and function of the shoulder muscles are also being investigated after total joint replacement.

Estimation of lower limb muscle forces during human locomotion: implications for improving athletic performance and understanding the mechanisms behind common muscle strain injuries.

Anthony Schache, Marcus Pandy, Peter Blanch, Nicholas Brown
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Melbourne and the Australian Institute of Sport

Running and sprinting are critical elements of most athletic pursuits. Despite the extensive amount of research that has been performed to date investigating the biomechanics of human locomotion, there are still many unanswered questions, particularly with regards to understanding lower limb muscle function. Much of the current understanding has been obtained from measures of joint motion, ground reaction forces and muscle EMG activity. For example, joint motion and ground reaction forces have been combined with inverse dynamics techniques to calculate net joint torques about the lower limb joints. This information, together with recordings of EMG activity, has been used to make inferences about the function of the lower limb muscles during human locomotion. The use of computational musculoskeletal models to estimate lower limb muscle forces during human locomotion is very much an emerging field of investigation. The overall goal of this project is to integrate data (ground reaction force, motion analysis, muscle electromyographic (EMG) activity) captured during walking, running and sprinting with advanced computational musculoskeletal modelling to improve current understanding regarding lower limb muscle function during running. Hamstring strains are one of the most common injuries in sports such as Australian Rules football, soccer and athletics. Knowledge gained from this project has important implications in terms of both understanding attributes underlying exceptional athletic performance as well as identifying likely mechanisms behind common lower limb muscle strain injuries.

Patient-specific Computational Tools for Diagnosing and Treating Gait Disorders in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Marcus Pandy, Richard Baker, Kerr Graham, Tom Correa
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Melbourne and The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of childhood disability in Australia and throughout the developed world. It results from damage to the brain at or around the time of birth and, as the child grows, leads to muscle and bone deformities that require surgery. Orthopaedic surgery for children with CP has improved greatly over the last 20 years, since the introduction of non-invasive force and motion measurement techniques commonly referred to as gait analysis. Gait analysis has the capacity to evaluate the biomechanics of gait abnormalities and provide quantitative information on limb motion, ground reaction forces, and net joint torques. However, only half the children operated upon show clear benefits from the use of these measurements, and some children even get worse. This is because gait analysis provides very limited information on leg muscle function during walking. More sophisticated tools are needed to determine muscle function and plan orthopaedic surgeries more precisely, so that the best possible results can be obtained for all patients. The overall goal of this project is to combine data from gait analysis experiments with medical imaging and advanced computational modelling to improve the diagnosis and treatment of gait disorders in children with CP.

postgraduate students

David Ackland, PhD
"Biomechanical analysis of the reverse shoulder prosthesis"
Massoud Akbarashahi, PhD
"Accurate measurement of knee joint kinematics using biplanar x-ray fluroscopy"
Tom Correa, PhD
Tim Dorn, PhD
Mirjana Jancic, PhD
"Changes in leg muscle function with walking speed"
Jay Yu, PhD

research fellows

websites

Faculty of Engineering: Biomedical Engineering

publications

Pandy MG, Zajac FE, Sim E, Levine WS. An optimal control model for maximum-height human jumping. Journal of Biomechanics 23: 1185-1198, 1990.
Pandy MG, Zajac FE. Optimal muscular coordination strategies for jumping. Journal of Biomechanics 24: 1-10, 1991.
Pandy MG, Anderson FC, Hull DG. A parameter optimization approach for the optimal control of large-scale musculoskeletal systems. Journal of Biomechanical Engineering 114: 450-460, 1992.
Anderson FC, Pandy MG. Storage and utilization of elastic strain energy during jumping. Journal of Biomechanics 26: 1413-1427, 1993.
Pandy MG, Garner BA, Anderson FC. Optimal control of non-ballistic muscular movements: A constraint-based performance criterion for rising from a chair. Journal of Biomechanical Engineering 117: 15-26, 1995.
Pandy MG, Shelburne KB. Dependence of cruciate-ligament loading on muscle forces and external load. Journal of Biomechanics 30: 1015-1024, 1997.
Pandy MG, Sasaki K, Kim S. A three-dimensional musculoskeletal model of the human knee joint. Part I: Theoretical construction. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 1: 87-108, 1998.
Pandy MG, Sasaki K. A three-dimensional musculoskeletal model of the human knee joint. Part II: Analysis of ligament function. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 1: 265-283, 1998.
Shelburne KB, Pandy MG. Determinants of cruciate-ligament loading during rehabilitation exercise. Clinical Biomechanics 13: 403-413, 1998.
Pandy MG, Shelburne KB. Theoretical analysis of ligament and extensor-mechanism function in the ACL-deficient knee. Clinical Biomechanics 13: 98-111, 1998.
Anderson FC, Pandy MG. A dynamic optimization solution for vertical jumping in three dimensions. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 2: 201-231, 1999.
Garner BA, Pandy MG. A kinematic model of the upper limb based on the Visible Human Project (VHP) image dataset. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 2: 107-124, 1999.
Garner BA, Pandy MG. The Obstacle Set Method for representing muscle paths in musculoskeletal models. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 3: 1-30, 2000.
Garner BA, Pandy MG. Musculoskeletal model of the human arm based on the Visible Human Male dataset. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 4: 93-126, 2001.
Yanagawa T, Shelburne KB, Serpas F, Pandy MG. Effect of hamstrings muscle action on stability of the ACL-deficient knee in isokinetic extension exercise. Clinical Biomechanics 17: 705-712, 2002.
Serpas F, Yanagawa T, Pandy MG. Forward-dynamics simulation of anterior cruciate ligament forces developed during isokinetic dynamometry. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 5: 33-43, 2002.
Garner BA, Pandy MG. Estimation of musculotendon properties in the human upper limb. Annals of Biomedical Engineering 31: 207-220, 2003.
Anderson FC, Pandy MG. Individual muscle contributions to support in normal walking. Gait and Posture 17: 159-169, 2003.
Brown N, Pandy MG, Buford B, Kawcak C, McIlwraith W. Moment arms of muscles about the carpus and metacarpophalangeal joints in the equine forelimb. American Journal of Veterinary Research 64: 351-357, 2003.
Brown N, Kawcak C, McIlwraith W, Pandy MG. Architectural properties of distal forelimb muscles in horses, equus caballus. Journal of Morphology 258: 106-114, 2003.
Brown N, Pandy MG, Kawcak C, McIlwraith W. Force- and moment-generating capacities of muscles in the distal forelimb of the horse. Journal of Anatomy 203: 101-113, 2003.
Pandy MG. Simple and complex models for studying muscle function in walking. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (London) Series B: Biological Sciences 358: 1501-1509, 2003.
Bhargava L, Pandy MG, Anderson FC. A phenomenological model for estimating metabolic energy consumption in muscle contraction. Journal of Biomechanics 37: 81-88, 2004.
Shelburne KB, Pandy MG, Torry M. Comparison of shear forces and ligament loading in the healthy and ACL-deficient knee during gait. Journal of Biomechanics 37: 313-319, 2004.
Krevolin J, Pandy MG, Pearce J. Moment arm of the patellar tendon in the human knee. Journal of Biomechanics 37: 785-788, 2004.
Anderson F, Goldberg S, Pandy MG, Delp S. Contributions of muscle forces and toe-off kinematics to peak knee flexion during the swing phase of normal gait: An induced position analysis. Journal of Biomechanics 37: 731-737, 2004.
Goldberg S, Anderson F, Pandy MG, Delp S. Muscles that influence knee flexion velocity in late stance: Implications for stiff-knee gait. Journal of Biomechanics 37: 1189-1196, 2004.
Oi N, Pandy MG, Myers B, Clancey V, Nightingale R. Variation of muscle strength along the human cervical spine. Stapp Car Crash Journal 48: 397-417, 2004.
Pflum M, Shelburne KB, Decker M, Torry M, Pandy MG. The determinants of anterior cruciate ligament force in landing. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 36: 1949-1958, 2004.
Pandy MG. Mixed forward and inverse solutions in movement biomechanics. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science 6: 325-330, 2005.
Shelburne KB, Pandy MG, Torry M, Decker M. Effect of muscle compensation on knee instability during ACL-deficient gait. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 37:642-648, 2005.
Shelburne KB, Torry M, Pandy MG. Muscle, ligament, and joint-contact forces at the knee during walking. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 37:1948-1956, 2005.
Arnold AS, Anderson FC, Pandy MG, Delp SL. Muscular contributions to hip and knee extension during the single limb stance phase of normal gait: A framework for investigating the causes of crouch gait. Journal of Biomechanics 38: 2181-2189, 2005.
Liu M, Anderson FC, Pandy MG, Delp SL. Muscles that support the body also modulate forward progression during walking. Journal of Biomechanics. in press.