Spinal Movement Biomechanics Group

Using state-of-the-art motion capturing and musculoskeletal modeling approaches, we conduct biomechanical research aiming at a better understanding of spinal disorders and to evaluate existing and/or new treatment approaches.

People

Group head

Dr. Stefan Schmid

Stv. Leiter aF&E Physiotherapie
+41 31 848 37 96
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Adresse Berner Fachhochschule
Gesundheit
Stadtbachstrasse 64, 3012 Bern

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Members

Christian Bangerter, PT, MSc (PhD student)
Laura Böhringer, PT, BSc (MSc student, BFH)
Melanie Liechti, PT, BSc (MSc student, BFH)
Lucile Poux, PT, BSc (MSc student, BFH)
Michael von Arx, PT, BSc (MSc student, BFH)

Alumni

Mena Suter, PT, MSc
Jana Frangi, PT, MSc
Luzia Niggli, BSc Health Sciences and Technology (MSc student, ETHZ)
Edwige Simonet, PT, MSc

Collaborations

National

Integrative Spinal Research Group, Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland (Michael L. Meier, PhD)
Orthopedic Department, University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland (Carol-Claudius Hasler, MD and Reinald Brunner, MD)
Institute of Physiotherapy, University Hospital Bern, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland (Balz Winteler, PT, MSc)
BFH Computer Perception and Virtual Reality Lab (cpvrLab), Biel, Switzerland (Marco Hudritsch)

International

Bouxsein Lab, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA (Dennis E. Anderson, PhD and Mary Bouxsein, PhD)
Laboratory of Biological Structures Mechanics, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy (Tito Bassani, PhD and Fabio Galbusera, PhD)

Projects

Current projects

Patient-specific Musculoskeletal Spine Modeling: Implementing Medical Imaging-based Muscle Morphology using an Automated Deep Learning Approach.
PI: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD
Sponsor: BFH CfP (Grant-no.: 2157PT_G)
Lumbar vertebral loading and paraspinal muscle activity during object lifting in healthy pain-free adults: an exploratory cross-sectional pilot study.
PI: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD
Sponsor: Unfunded
Spine Biomechanics during Functional Activities in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Pilot Feasibility Study.
PI: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD
Sponsor: Swiss Physiotherapy Association (physioswiss)
Low back pain: Unveiling the contribution of motor control adaption using biomechanical modeling and neuroimaging.
PI: Michael L. Meier, PhD (Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland)
Involved member(s) of Spinal Movement Biomechanics Group: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD (Project partner)
Sponsor: Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant-no.: 185123)

Completed projects

Novel musculoskeletal models to assess spine segmental loads in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis.
PI: Dennis E. Anderson, PhD (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA)
Involved member(s) of Spinal Movement Biomechanics Group: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD (Co-investigator)
Sponsor: National Center of Simulation and Rehabilitation Research (Sub-award of NIH grant no.: 5P2CHD065690
Using subject-specific musculoskeletal spine models to predict segmental loading and individual muscle forces during functional activities in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis.
PI: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD
Sponsor: Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant-no.: 178427)
The Measurement of Spine Dynamics during Gait for the Quantification of Intervention Outcomes in Patients with different Pathologies.
PI: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD
Sponsor: Swiss Physiotherapy Association (physioswiss)

Publications

Selected journal publications

Preprints (not published in peer-reviewed journal yet)

Software and Databases

Development of OpenSim-based musculoskeletal full-body models including a detailed thoracolumbar spine for children and adolescents aged 6-18 years (freely available for download on the project hosting platform SimTK: https://simtk.org/projects/spine-children)
Spinal kinematics during gait in healthy individuals across different age groups (C3D-files freely available for download: https://movement.ethz.ch/data-repository/spinal-kinematics.html)