Refining the Methodology

Have you ever wondered how they create human-like movement in video games? How animals move so realistically in your favorite animated movies? Through 3D motion capture technology! Which is exactly what we are using in our injury research.

 

I recently traveled back to The University of Hawaii's beautiful campus to refine my methodology and meet with the members of the Project ACL research team. We came up with a protocol for the newly added 3D motion capture analysis that we will be taking each subject through. 3D motion capture will allow us to know the precise angles and forces at which these female athletes are landing. With the help of my colleagues at UH, we were able to come up with a plan for how we were going to create this 3D model of each of our subjects.

 

Reflective markers, like the ones attached to anatomical landmarks on the feet below, allow the camera system to locate the position of a joint in space and project those coordinates to the computer screen.

 

Plates, like the ones you see the research team working on below, are attached to areas of the body like the outer thighs and shins. These are positioned on each subject very carefully, according to the latest research on 3D anatomical models. When each of the joints in a subject's body are correctly identified, it is possible to create a very accurate model of the human body on the computer. This allows our research to be as accurate as possible.

 

Once the markers are placed, the subject is then instructed to complete the jump-landing task. We can see the subject in real time as well as modeled as a 3D image on the computer screen. From this data, we are able to determine the exact position of a subject's feet, ankles, knees, hips, torso and head during the movement. This is important information when determining their risk for knee injury.

 

Our 3D motion capture protocol is refined and we will be completing a few test-runs at the UCSF Benioff Children's Sports Medicine lab in order to maximize our efficiency during data collection. If you would like to channel your inner Avatar, we would be happy to have you be a part of this test run!

 

Until next time! Liz