This thesis is part of ERC-BioMechTools.eu

Promotor

Co-Promotor

Functional Ultrasound Imaging of the Lower Extremity.

profile of Kaj Gijsbertse

Thesis
To improve the diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders, as well as methodologies to guide treatments and rehabilitation, a fundamental and comprehensive understanding of the functioning of muscles and other tissues such as ligaments and tendons is important. Medical imaging techniques, including ultrasound, are increasingly being used as a complementary tool for clinical and electrophysiological examination of the musculoskeletal system.
This thesis focused on the development and application of ultrasound imaging techniques to obtain functional information of muscles, tendons and ligaments in the lower extremities. Using the developed techniques, we have gained more insight into how muscles contract and how this relates to muscle architecture. In addition, these techniques are used to visualize the change in muscle contraction in patients with muscular dystrophy and the techniques can also detect movements that are important biomarkers for neuromuscular diseases. In conclusion, the results have shown that ultrasound is a valuable tool for studying the functional behavior of muscles and ligaments during dynamic loading conditions. This information can also be used to obtain more reliable biomechanical models that can direct and predict surgical outcomes.

Biography
Kaj Gijsbertse obtained his Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Twente in 2013. The research in this thesis was performed at the Department of Orthopedics in collaboration with the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, within the Radboud Institute for Health Sciences. Currently, he is working as a researcher at TNO at the department of Training and Performance Innovations.

This text is a copy from: www.radboudumc.nl/en/agenda/phd-defense-kaj-gijsbertse