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Moayedi M, Arshi AR, Salehi M, Akrami M, Javadi Asl N, Naemi R. An investigation into the hammer toe effects on the lower extremity mechanics and plantar fascia tension: A case for a vicious cycle and progressive damage. Comput Biol Med 2023; 152:106381. [PMID: 36563541 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.106381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hammer toes are one of the common deformities of the forefoot that can lead to compensatory changes during walking in individuals with this condition. Predicting the adverse effects of tissue damage on the performance of other limbs is very important in the prevention of progressive damage. Finite element (FE) and musculoskeletal modeling can be helpful by allowing such effects to be studied in a way where the internal stresses in the tissue could be investigated. Hence, this study aims to investigate the effects of the hammer toe deformity on the lower extremity, especially on the plantar fascia functions. To compare the joint reactions of the hammer toe foot (HTF) and healthy foot (HF), two musculoskeletal models (MSM) of the feet of a healthy individual and that of a participant with hammer toe foot were developed based on gait analysis. A previously validated 3D finite element model which was constructed using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the diabetic participant with the hammer toe deformity was processed at five different events during the stance phase of gait. It was found that the hammer toe deformity makes dorsiflexion of the toes and the windlass mechanism less effective during walking. Specifically, the FE analysis results showed that plantar fascia (PF) in HTF compared to HF played a less dominant role in load bearing with both medial and lateral parts of PF loaded. Also, the results indicated that the stored elastic energy in PF was less in HTF than the HF, which can indicate a higher metabolic cost during walking. Internal stress distribution shows that the majority of ground reaction forces are transmitted through the lateral metatarsals in hammer toe foot, and the probability of fifth metatarsal fracture and also progressive deformity was subsequently increased. The MSM results showed that the joint reaction forces and moments in the hammer toe foot have deviated from normal, where the metatarsophalangeal joint reactions in the hammer toe were less than the values in the healthy foot. This can indicate a vicious cycle of foot deformity, leading to changes in body weight force transmission line, and deviation of joint reactions and plantar fascia function from normal. These in turn lead to increased internal stress concentration, which in turn lead to further foot deformities. This vicious cycle cause progressive damage and can lead to an increase in the risk of ulceration in the diabetic foot.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Moayedi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Iran.
| | - A R Arshi
- Biomechanics and Sports Engineering Groups, Biomedical Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, Iran.
| | - M Salehi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Iran.
| | - M Akrami
- Department of Engineering, College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, UK.
| | - N Javadi Asl
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Iran.
| | - R Naemi
- Centre for Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Technologies, Staffordshire University, UK.
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White H, Webb R, McKnight I, Legg K, Lee C, Lee PH, Spicer OS, Shim JW. TRPV4 mRNA is elevated in the caudate nucleus with NPH but not in Alzheimer's disease. Front Genet 2022; 13:936151. [PMID: 36406122 PMCID: PMC9670164 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.936151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Symptoms of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are somewhat similar, and it is common to misdiagnose these two conditions. Although there are fluid markers detectable in humans with NPH and AD, determining which biomarker is optimal in representing genetic characteristics consistent throughout species is poorly understood. Here, we hypothesize that NPH can be differentiated from AD with mRNA biomarkers of unvaried proximity to telomeres. We examined human caudate nucleus tissue samples for the expression of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 4 (TRPV4) and amyloid precursor protein (APP). Using the genome data viewer, we analyzed the mutability of TRPV4 and other genes in mice, rats, and humans through matching nucleotides of six genes of interest and one house keeping gene with two factors associated with high mutation rate: 1) proximity to telomeres or 2) high adenine and thymine (A + T) content. We found that TRPV4 and microtubule associated protein tau (MAPT) mRNA were elevated in NPH. In AD, mRNA expression of TRPV4 was unaltered unlike APP and other genes. In mice, rats, and humans, the nucleotide size of TRPV4 did not vary, while in other genes, the sizes were inconsistent. Proximity to telomeres in TRPV4 was <50 Mb across species. Our analyses reveal that TRPV4 gene size and mutability are conserved across three species, suggesting that TRPV4 can be a potential link in the pathophysiology of chronic hydrocephalus in aged humans (>65 years) and laboratory rodents at comparable ages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hunter White
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, United States
| | - Ryan Webb
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, United States
| | - Ian McKnight
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, United States
| | - Kaitlyn Legg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, United States
| | - Chan Lee
- Department of Anesthesia, Indiana University Health Arnett Hospital, Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Peter H.U. Lee
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Southcoast Health, Fall River, MA, United States,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Olivia Smith Spicer
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Joon W. Shim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, United States,*Correspondence: Joon W. Shim,
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