In Vitro Manual Therapy and Biorobotic Simulation of Glenohumeral Joint Mobilization Techniques
type: CreativeWork
description: Physical therapists (PT) employ mobilization techniques for restoring range of motion to joints. Few studies have attempted to quantify the biomechanics of manual therapy on the glenohumeral (GH) joint. The objectives of this study were to develop an in vitro protocol to determine the biomechanical effects of joint mobilization on the GH joint, and to then simulate these mobilizations in the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) Joint Implant Biomechanics Laboratory’s Robotic Testing Platform (RTP). The GH joint is an incredibly shallow socket joint. This gives the joint an unusually large range of motion (ROM) compared to other ball joints. The increased ROM makes the joint unstable and susceptible to injury. The joint is completely surrounded by many muscles for support. The primary stabilizers are the rotator cuff (RC) muscles: subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor. These muscles were chosen to be simulated for the experiments. The objective of this study was to develop a protocol for quantifying and comparing GH joint mobilization techniques performed by physical therapists in a human cadaveric model. Two different GH joint positions were investigated using grade IV non-oscillatory mobilizations. Force data was captured using a six (DOF) load cell; three dimensional (3D) positional data was captured using a camera system with light emitting diodes (LEDs). Most notable differences between joint position and therapists occurred during posterior glide mobilization. In addition to studying other GH mobilization techniques the protocol can be used to determine structural tissue properties and/or measure effects of shoulder injuries on GH biomechanics. A separate robotic protocol was developed to simulate anterior, posterior, and inferior glides on the GH joint in neutral position. Tests were conducted through 10° flexion and 10° extension in neutral rotation, 30° internal rotation, and 30° external rotation. External rotation wa…
abstract: Physical therapists (PT) employ mobilization techniques for restoring range of motion to joints. Few studies have attempted to quantify the biomechanics of manual therapy on the glenohumeral (GH) joint. The objectives of this study were to develop an in vitro protocol to determine the biomechanical effects of joint mobilization on the GH joint, and to then simulate these mobilizations in the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) Joint Implant Biomechanics Laboratory’s Robotic Testing Platform (RTP). The GH joint is an incredibly shallow socket joint. This gives the joint an unusually large range of motion (ROM) compared to other ball joints. The increased ROM makes the joint unstable and susceptible to injury. The joint is completely surrounded by many muscles for support. The primary stabilizers are the rotator cuff (RC) muscles: subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor. These muscles were chosen to be simulated for the experiments. The objective of this study was to develop a protocol for quantifying and comparing GH joint mobilization techniques performed by physical therapists in a human cadaveric model. Two different GH joint positions were investigated using grade IV non-oscillatory mobilizations. Force data was captured using a six (DOF) load cell; three dimensional (3D) positional data was captured using a camera system with light emitting diodes (LEDs). Most notable differences between joint position and therapists occurred during posterior glide mobilization. In addition to studying other GH mobilization techniques the protocol can be used to determine structural tissue properties and/or measure effects of shoulder injuries on GH biomechanics. A separate robotic protocol was developed to simulate anterior, posterior, and inferior glides on the GH joint in neutral position. Tests were conducted through 10° flexion and 10° extension in neutral rotation, 30° internal rotation, and 30° external rotation. External rotation wa…
author: Smith, Hunter Johnson
keywords: Biomechanics, Glenohumeral, Mobilization, Robot, Shoulder, Simulation, Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment, Medicine and Health Sciences, Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation and Therapy, Therapeutics
date published: 2013-11-01T07:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T05:00:17Z
provider: University of Tennessee Health Science Center
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Tennessee Health Science Center