Awarded in 2021
Home Department: Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Advisors: Steve Collins (Mechanical Engineering), Nicholas Giori (Orthopaedic Surgery), and Scott Delp (Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering)

Research Title: Reducing Muscle Contributions to Knee Joint Loading in Individuals with OA Using a Powered Knee Exoskeleton

Research Description: Knee osteoarthritis is the most common cause of adult musculoskeletal pain. Reducing knee joint loading—a combination of external and muscle forces—can reduce pain and improve function in affected individuals. Current interventions don’t account for the 50-75% of knee loading caused by muscle forces. By using a knee exoskeleton emulator to generate assistive torques and musculoskeletal simulation to estimate knee contact forces, Delaney will find the assistance strategies that maximally reduce muscle contributions to knee loading through human-in-the-loop optimization. This research will inform the design of portable knee exoskeletons that improve knee function and reduce pain.