Evaluating Muscle Synergies With EMG Data and Physics Simulation in the Neurorobotics Platform.

Although we can measure muscle activity and analyze their activation patterns, we understand little about how individual muscles affect the joint torque generated. It is known that they are controlled by circuits in the spinal cord, a system much less well-understood than the cortex. Knowing the contribution of the muscles toward a joint torque would improve our understanding of human limb control. We present a novel framework to examine the control of biomechanics using physics simulations informed by electromyography (EMG) data. These signals drive a virtual musculoskeletal model in the Neurorobotics Platform (NRP), which we then use to evaluate resulting joint torques. We use our framework to analyze raw EMG data collected during an isometric knee extension study to identify synergies that drive a musculoskeletal lower limb model. The resulting knee torques are used as a reference for genetic algorithms (GA) to generate new simulated activation patterns. On the platform the GA finds solutions that generate torques matching those observed. Possible solutions include synergies that are similar to those extracted from the human study. In addition, the GA finds activation patterns that are different from the biological ones while still producing the same knee torque. The NRP forms a highly modular integrated simulation platform allowing these in silico experiments. We argue that our framework allows for research of the neurobiomechanical control of muscles during tasks, which would otherwise not be possible.

Evisceration of Small Bowel Through Rectum: A Case Report.

Evisceration of small bowel through the rectum is extremely uncommon, chronic long standing prolapse and/or increased intra-abdominal pressure being the most frequent association. Management is in line of any acute abdomen with resuscitation beginning as soon as patient arrives with covering the bowel with moist hot packs. The management of such patients depends on the general state of each individual patient. In extremely frail patients, palliative care should be instituted. Laparotomy and Hartmann's procedure is the safest option. Here we report a case of an elderly female with full-thickness chronic rectal prolapse who presented acutely at the Emergency Department with small bowel eviscerating through the anus following it herniating through the rectum.