| Title: | The impact of dynamic and passive standing on bone mineral density and appositional growth in immobilized children |
| Author: | |
| Document Type: | Dissertation |
| Department: | Department of Biomedical Engineering |
| Degree: | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Major: | Biomedical Engineering |
| Advisory Committee: |
Foulds, Richard A.
Pfister, Bryan J.
Van Buskirk, William C.
Lin, Sheldon S.
Fritton, J. Christopher
|
| Thesis Date: | 2011, August |
| Keywords: |
Passive standing
Dynamic standing
Immobilized
Children
Weight bearing
Dual energy x-ray absorptometry (DXA)
|
| Availability: | Unrestricted |
| Abstract: |
The first discovery of the potential role that mechanical loading has on determining the strength of bone occurred in 1892. However, for almost a century after this discovery, the specific mechanisms influenced by mechanical loading remained locked in a mysterious 'black box'. Then in the 1960s, the 'black box' was opened and continued work has now unlocked the basic mechanisms involved in mechanical loading and whole-bone strength. This increased knowledge has spurred clinicians and researchers to investigate the impact of weight-bearing interventions on individuals with an increased risk of osteoporosis. The most common weight-bearing clinical intervention used in non-ambulant populations is passive standing. However, insurance companies are increasingly denying reimbursement for standers, quoting that there is not enough scientific literature proving the benefits of the intervention. This study continues the investigation of the impact of passive standing, while introducing and investigating the impact of a novel dynamic stander which mimics the walking gait. A fifteen-month study was initiated to determine the impact of each clinical intervention on bone mineral density, bone mineral content and area in non- ambulant children. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to calculate the aforementioned parameters as it is the current 'gold standard' in the field, though limitations do exist in the calculation of density, content and area in low density populations. Due to these limitations, this study also investigates potential improvements to the algorithms used in DXA to increase the precision of this study and future work. |
| Complete Thesis: | njit-etd2011-090 (116 pages ~ 1,895 KB pdf) |
| Feedback: | Please complete this Feedback Form to inform us about your experience using this website. It will assist us in better serving your information needs in the future. Thank You! |
|
Created March 9, 2012
To view these documents you will need the Acrobat Reader Plug-in. If you do not have it you can download it free from
|