It was recently reported that the epaxial muscles of a lizard, Varanus salvator, function to stabilize the trunk during locomotion, and it was suggested that this stabilizing role may be a shared derived feature of amniotes. This result was unexpected because it had previously been assumed that the epaxial muscles of lizards function to produce lateral bending during locomotion and that only in...

Lateral roots are initiated postembryonically in response to environmental cues, enabling plants to explore efficiently their underground environment. However, the mechanisms by which the environment determines the position of lateral root formation are unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that in Arabidopsis thaliana lateral root initiation can be induced mechanically by either gravitropic c...

PURPOSE Pregnancy is characterized by many musculoskeletal changes that affect daily living activities and walking. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of pregnancy on pelvic and trunk kinematics, and their relationship during the three pregnancy trimesters. METHODS Three-dimensional pelvis and trunk motions were measured using Qualisys Gait Analysis System in the first, secon...

Minimally invasive (MI) lumbar decompression became a common approach to treat lumbar stenosis. This approach may potentially mitigate postoperative increases in segmental motion. The goal of this study was to evaluate modifications to segmental motion in the lumbar spine following a MI unilateral approach as compared to traditional facet-sparing and non-facet sparing decompressions. Six human ...

We performed a biomechanical study on human cadaver spines to determine the effect of three different interbody cage designs, with and without posterior instrumentation, on the three-dimensional flexibility of the spine. Six lumbar functional spinal units for each cage type were subjected to multidirectional flexibility testing in four different configurations: intact, with interbody cages from...

OBJECTIVE To determine kinematic movements of the vertebral column of horses during normal locomotion. ANIMALS 5 Dutch Warmblood horses without apparent lameness or problems associated with the vertebral column. PROCEDURE Kinematics of 8 vertebrae (T6, T10, T13, T17, L1, L3, L5, and S3) and both tuber coxae were determined, using bone-fixated markers. Horses were recorded while walking on a...

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Previous work has demonstrated the efficacy of lumbar pedicle screw hook rod (PSHR) techniques and the Buck screw in the stabilization of spondylolysis. The mechanical behavior of lower profile cervical implants used to create PSHR, hybrid cable plate constructs, and titanium miniplating has not previously been described. METHODS Calf lumbar spines (L2-L6) were util...

BACKGROUND A combination of frontal bending, lateral bending, and torsion in the loaded trunk has been suggested to be a mechanism leading to overuse injuries of the back in Alpine ski racing. However, there is limited knowledge about the effect of course setting on the aforementioned back-loading patterns. PURPOSE To investigate the effect of increased gate offset on the skier's overall trun...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to assess how stretching exercise training and sling exercise training for stabilization influences the cervical spine angles and cervical range of motion of straight neck patients. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty straight neck patients were selected as subjects and they were randomly divided into two groups, the stretching and sling stabilization exercise ...

It is shown theoretically that the lateral tension associated with bending