Individuals with rotator cuff tears unsuccessfully treated with exercise therapy have less inferiorly oriented net muscle forces during scapular plane abduction.

Exercise therapy for individuals with rotator cuff tears fails in approximately 25.0 % of cases. One reason for failure of exercise therapy may be the inability to strengthen and balance the muscle forces crossing the glenohumeral joint that act to center the humeral head on the glenoid. The objective of the current study was to compare the magnitude and orientation of the net muscle force pre- and post-exercise therapy between subjects successfully and unsuccessfully (e.g. eventually underwent surgery) treated with a 12-week individualized exercise therapy program. Twelve computational musculoskeletal models (n = 6 successful, n = 6 unsuccessful) were developed in OpenSim (v4.0) that incorporated subject specific tear characteristics, muscle peak isometric force, in-vivo kinematics and bony morphology. The models were driven with experimental kinematics and the magnitude and orientation of the net muscle force was determined during scapular plane abduction at pre- and post-exercise therapy timepoints. Subjects unsuccessfully treated had less inferiorly oriented net muscle forces pre- and post-exercise therapy compared to subjects successfully treated (p = 0.039 & 0.045, respectively). No differences were observed in the magnitude of the net muscle force (p > 0.05). The current study developed novel computational musculoskeletal models with subject specific inputs capable of distinguishing between subjects successfully and unsuccessfully treated with exercise therapy. A less inferiorly oriented net muscle force in subjects unsuccessfully treated may increase the risk of superior migration leading to impingement. Adjustments to exercise therapy programs may be warranted to avoid surgery in subjects at risk of unsuccessful treatment.

Mechanical properties of carbon nanotube/polymer composites.

The remarkable mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes, such as high elastic modulus and tensile strength, make them the most ideal and promising reinforcements in substantially enhancing the mechanical properties of resulting polymer/carbon nanotube composites. It is acknowledged that the mechanical properties of the composites are significantly influenced by interfacial interactions between nanotubes and polymer matrices. The current challenge of the application of nanotubes in the composites is hence to determine the mechanical properties of the interfacial region, which is critical for improving and manufacturing the nanocomposites. In this work, a new method for evaluating the elastic properties of the interfacial region is developed by examining the fracture behavior of carbon nanotube reinforced poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix composites under tension using molecular dynamics simulations. The effects of the aspect ratio of carbon nanotube reinforcements on the elastic properties, i.e. Young's modulus and yield strength, of the interfacial region and the nanotube/polymer composites are investigated. The feasibility of a three-phase micromechanical model in predicting the elastic properties of the nanocomposites is also developed based on the understanding of the interfacial region.