ABI Gait Research

Objectives

The overall goal of the ABI Gait Research Group is to advance subject-specific, anatomically-based modelling techniques for providing answers to relevant questions in clinical and biomechanical gait research. Current projects are centered around the following questions:

  • Are bone deformities in children with cerebral palsy related to abnormal muscle function during walking?
  • Does the translational movement in the knee joint significantly affect the biomechanical loading state of the knee during walking?
  • Can anatomically-based models and gait simulations be used in the teaching of gait analysis to assist students in the learning process?

Movies

The following movies provide some insights into our research.


Movie 1: Anatomically-based lower limb model based on MRI images in standing position.



Movie 2a: Gait simulation based on kinematic data from optical motion capture.




Movie 2b: Gait simulation based on kinematic data from optical motion capture.




Movie 2c: Gait simulation based on kinematic data from optical motion capture.




Movie 3: Muscle activation during gait.




Movie 4: Gait simulation of a child with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy

Upcoming events

Selected publications

  • Oberhofer, K., Mithraratne, K., Stott, N.S., and Anderson, I.A. Subject-specific modelling of lower limb muscles in children with cerebral palsy. Clinical Biomechanics, 25(1):88-94, 2010
  • Oberhofer, K., Mithraratne, K., Stott, N.S., and Anderson, I.A. Anatomically-based musculoskeletal modeling: prediction and validation of muscle deformation during walking. The Visual Computer, 25(9):843-851, 2009
  • Oberhofer, K., Mithraratne, K., Stott, N.S., and Anderson, I. A. Error propagation from kinematic data to modelled muscle-tendon lengths during walking. Journal of Biomechanics, 42(1):77-81, 2009
  • Oberhofer, K., Mithraratne, K., Stott, N.S., Walt, S., and Anderson, I. A. A novel approach to compute muscle length during walking using subject-specific musculoskeletal models. 16th IASTED conference proceedings ASM, 451- 456, 2007

Collaborators

  • Baker, Richard (Associate Professor, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Victoria, Australia)
  • Mudge, Suzie (Senior Lecturer, School of Physiotherapy, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand)
  • Stott, Susan (Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Auckland, New Zealand)
  • Zhang, Yanxin (Senior Lecturer, Department of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Auckland, New Zealand)


Contact details
Name: Katja Oberhofer, Research Fellow
Phone: +64 9 3737599 x 86953
Fax: 64 9 367 7157
Email: k.oberhofer@auckland.ac.nz