Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Facility

We provide an integrated, state-of-the-art centre for musculoskeletal biomechanics and bioengineering research.

Our aims

The facility was set up to expand our research into osteoarthritis and musculoskeletal biomechanics. We aim to:

• develop research into disease and treatment including surgery and rehabilitation monitoring
• support research and teaching across the University
• provide a resource for clinicians, stakeholders and partners
• provide an NHS referral space for clinical gait analysis
• provide access to sports teams and businesses requiring biomechanical, clinical or physiological data
• attract international researchers and maintain research excellence.

Our facility

Our facility is located on the ground floor of the Trevithick Building in the School of Engineering. It currently houses:

• a clinical human movement laboratory
• a teaching human movement laboratory
• a fluoroscopy and human movement laboratory
• a MicroCT scanning room
• a clinical assessment/venopuncture room.

We also have training and meeting rooms, research offices, a visitor waiting area, controlled access plus dedicated changing and bathroom facilities for patients.

Technical features

• Each human movement laboratory houses 12 Qualisys motion capture cameras, 4-6 Bertec force plates, Delsys wireless surface electromyography (EMG) sensors, instrumented staircases and specialised software for image segmentation, analysis and modeling.
• The fluoroscopy laboratory has a bespoke high speed biplane video radiography system for imaging in-vivo joints.
• In the clinical laboratory there is a Biodex isokinetic dynamometer and an instrumented treadmill.
• The teaching laboratory houses a Hologic DXA scanner.
• A platform based pressure/force measurement system, a Gaitrite pressure mat and Samsung RS80A Ultrasound system are portable across the facility.
• Fully portable equipment includes XSens full-body inertial measurement sensors, an Artec 3D scanner, Gene Active activity monitors, cadaveric human joint analysis system, wireless research in-shoe pressure measurement system, Qualisys motion capture and video cameras, force plates and surface EMG/Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs).
• The microCT room houses a Bruker SkyScan 1271.

We also offer technician support to operate the equipment.

Facility Director

Contact us

Please get in touch if you would like to view or book our facilities.