# HUMAN RESPONSE AND LOWER EXTREMITY INJURY

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · 1989 · $190,426

## Abstract

The mechanics of injury to the human knee is a complex process where
external forces are transmitted to the lower extremity, the lower extremity
responds causing displacements and rotations across the knee, stresses are
induced in the soft tissues at and across the knee and, under some
conditions, the tissues are disrupted.  When the forces are not constant,
prediction of the likelihood of injury and the severity of applied external
forces is complex.

The proposal presents a research program investigating to the knee that
typically occur during snow skiing. Snow skiing is studied because the rate
of injury to the knee is high, the forces transmitted to the foot by the
ski can measured, and safety devices can reduce the high rate of injury.
Specialized laboratory and field test apparatus has been, and is being,
developed to measure and to analyze the forces and moments between the boot
and the ski, the rotations and translations across the knee joint, and the
EMG from muscle groups. The measurements are mad during laboratory and snow
skiing experiments, and even during falling while skiing, when the
likelihood of injury increases. The three translations and three rotations
across the knee are recorded with a new instrument containing no linkage
connections, thereby having no stick-slip and inertia problems typical of
goniometers. The field measurements identify the injury environment and
response of the knee during "typical" skiing. forces. The laboratory
experiments clarify how the knee responds to dynamic The contributions of
muscle contraction to models of knee translation and rotation and the
likelihood of injury will be clarified. The concept of a bioadaptive safety
device will be carried forward to the prototype stage. The "safety"
function of this de vice will be controlled by the current contraction of
the musculature.

The common misconception that the forces of skiing are small compared to
typical tibia fracture strength and knee alignment strength will be
corrected.  This erroneous concept is widespread, extending to standards
organizations, the industry and the public alike.  The conceptual error has
a major impact on the design of safety devices, the evaluation and
acceptance of safety devices, and the training and instruction given the
public.  Efforts are directed to the development of meaningful standards of
safety at the national and international levels.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3155415
- **Project number:** 2R01AR026446-07A2
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** GS3YEVSS12N6
- **Principal Investigator:** CLAYTON D MOTE
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1989
- **Award amount:** $190,426
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1980-12-01 → 1992-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3155415

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3155415, HUMAN RESPONSE AND LOWER EXTREMITY INJURY (2R01AR026446-07A2). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3155415. Licensed CC0.

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