Aplicaciones clínicas de las pruebas biomecánicas: mitos y realidades / No disponible

No disponible

Evaluación de la marcha con bastones en pacientes con lesión medular incompleta / Assessment of walking on crutches in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury

Objetivo. Determinar las aportaciones que suponen el empleo de técnicas de análisis biomecánico a la hora de recomendar la marcha con uno o dos bastones en personas con lesión medular incompleta. Material y métodos. Se efectuó el análisis cinemático de la marcha en 12 pacientes con lesión medular incompleta de más de un año de evolución y capacidad funcional para caminar con un bastón. Los pacientes caminaron a velocidad libre en un pasillo de 10 m con uno y con dos bastones. Se utilizó un equipo que permite realizar un análisis cinemático en 3 D basado en marcadores activos. Los parámetros analizados fueron los temporo-espaciales y los articulares (máximos, mínimos y rango articular a lo largo del ciclo). Resultados. Caminando con dos bastones la duración del ciclo es mayor (p = 0,010) y la frecuencia de ciclos/minuto es menor (p = 0,014). Respecto a los parámetros articulares, en la marcha con dos bastones el pico de valor máximo (p = 0,036) y el mínimo de basculación anterior pélvica (p = 0,038), así como el recorrido articular de rotación pélvica (p = 0,006) son mayores, y el valor mínimo de flexión de cadera es menor (p = 0,022). Conclusión. A pesar de la mayor seguridad ofrecida para los lesionados medulares que pueden caminar con un bastón, el hacerlo con dos puede constituir una marcha más costosa. Las técnicas de análisis biomecánico constituyen un elemento de soporte a la hora de recomendar una ayuda técnica para la marcha (AU)

Objective. To determine the differences in gait kinematic parameters of people with incomplete spinal cord injury while walking with one or two crutches. Material and methods. Twelve patients with incomplete spinal cord injury whose injury occurred at least one year ago with functional capacity for walking with one crutch were kinetically analyzed. The patients walked at free rate in a 10 m hallway with one or two crutches. A system was used that allowed for kinematic analysis in 3 D based on active markers. The parameters analyzed were time-space and joint values (maximum, minimum and range of movement during the cycle). Results. When walking with two crutches, the stride time is greater (p = 0.021) and the stride/minute is less (p = 0.014). Regarding joint parameters of walking with two crutches, the maximum value peak (p = 0.036) and the minimum of anterior pelvic tilt (p = 0.038) and the joint range of the pelvic rotation (p = 0.006) are greater and the minimum value of hip flexion is less (p = 0.022). Conclusion. In spite of the greater safety offered for the patients suffering spinal cord injuries, for those who can walk with one crutch, the use of 2 crutches can make walking more difficult. Biomechanical analysis techniques are a supportive element when recommending technical help for walking (AU)

Bio-fluids educational issues: an emerging field aims to define its next generation.

There are numerous processes in the body under healthy and pathologic conditions in which bio-fluid mechanics play a central role. The delivery of various substances to and from tissues is accomplished through a combination of complex active and passive mass transfer processes. Bio-fluid mechanics also play a central role in locomotion, from water-bound amoeba and fish to the soaring of birds. Educating undergraduate and graduate students in such wide-ranging fluid mechanical phenomena has proved challenging within the typical context of a biomedical engineering program. The diversity of biomedical engineering topics entails increased biological sciences curricular content, possibly limiting the opportunities to provide a fundamental knowledge base in fluid mechanics which may be expected in the more traditional engineering disciplines. The lack of textbooks in the area, while problematic in the past, is being alleviated with some recent texts and several new ones are due to appear soon. Today's bio-fluids educators are presented with the challenge of providing sufficient fundamental knowledge in bio-fluid mechanics within one- or two-semester courses. The richness of this topic has led to a variety of approaches to course development. This article outlines some of the current approaches and presents some strategies that we hope would help in constructing effective bio-fluids courses.