The University of Waterloo Clinical Biomechanics Project

Course Description

Clinical Biomechanics of Musculoskeletal Conditions (KIN 470) is a 4th year, seminar course that encourages the application of knowledge and skills acquired in your 100-300 level courses and provides an opportunity to further develop skills related to knowledge acquisition and communication. In this section we will develop skills including literature searching, synthesis and interpretation, oral presentation and writing skills, while focusing on the topic of clinical biomechanics of musculoskeletal conditions.

We will focus on the biomechanical mechanisms underlying musculoskeletal injury and pathology.  We will focus on searching, synthesizing and communicating research evidence that reflects a deeper understanding of the biomechanical pathology/injury mechanisms underlying a clinical condition that affects muscle, joint and/or bone.  We will ask you to present your findings in oral and written formats. Ultimately, you will work towards creating a new, evidence-based knowledge translation article on a topic in clinical biomechanics for Physiopedia.  

Please review the KIN 470 syllabus on UW LEARN in detail to learn about all of the evaluative components in this course. This site focuses on the Written Assignment component only.

Course Instructors

Monica Maly

Kendal Marriott

Natasha Ivanochko

Start and Finish Dates

11 January 2021 - 26 April 2021

Course Resources

You will be primarily searching the research literature, Physiopedia and reputable gray literature sources. A Research Guide by UW Library is an exceptional resource (and strongly recommended) - please see the course syllabus for access.

The following textbooks provide excellent background material:

• Winter DA.  Biomechanics and Motor Control of Human Movement.  4^thEd, Wiley, 2009.
• Levangie PK, Norkin CC.  Joint Structure and Function. 5^thEd, FA Davis, 2011.
• Nordin M, Frankel VH. Basic Biomechanics of the Musculoskeletal System. 4^thEd, Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott William & Wilkins Health, 2012.
• Whiting WC, Zernicke, RF.  Biomechanics of Musculoskeletal Injury.  2^ndEd, Human Kinetics, 2008.

Instructions to Students

Please review the KIN 470 syllabus on UW LEARN in detail to learn about all of the evaluative components in this course. This site focuses on the Written Assignment component only.  

The overall purpose of your KIN 470 Written Assignment is to write a new, evidence-based, knowledge translation article on the clinical biomechanics of a musculoskeletal condition, for Physiopedia.  Knowledge translation is a dynamic, iterative process that includes synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically-sound application of knowledge to improve the health of people, provide more effective health services and products, and strengthen the health care system (Canadian Institutes of Health Research).  Please note that this assignment is not an essay or critical appraisal of the literature. Your goal is to synthesize and disseminate up-to-date information about clinical biomechanics. Your audience is composed of physiotherapists and learners from around the world.  

Your written assignment will be a 4-5 page, double-spaced (2 cm margin) knowledge translation article suitable for Physiopedia.

Getting Started

• On Physiopedia:
  • Explore Physiopedia, particularly existing articles relevant to this course. 
    • Follow the links and citations.  
    • Consider the quality and quantity in each article.
    • **Physiopedia features inter-relatedness between articles.  
    • **Good quality evidence is more useful to the audience than poor quality evidence.
  • Read through the Students Step-by-Step Guide on Physiopedia:  https://www.physio-pedia.com/Students_Step_by_Step_Guide
  • Request a Physiopedia account.  This process can take up to 48 hours.
  • Once you have an account, please login and create your Physiopedia Profile page.  Any material you post on Physiopedia will be attributed to this page.
  • Familiarize yourself with Vancouver style referencing in Physiopedia.

• On writing your knowledge translation article:
  • Use the UW Library Research Guide to hone your skills in searching the literature - please see the course syllabus for access.
  • Use the UW Writing Centre guide on Working with the evidence - please see the course syllabus for access.
  • Create an outline for your knowledge translation article.  This outline should contain (a) headings for your article (b) sentences under each heading summarizing your key points, and (c) citations to support your key points. You may circulate your outline to the instructors for feedback (not grading) if submitted by Friday, March 19 at 12pm (noon) EST.
  • Incorporate feedback from your instructors and peers.

Expectations

• Your article must focus on clinical biomechanics of a specific musculoskeletal condition.
• Your content must be accurate and evidence-based.
• Your article is edited and formatted to be clear and concise.
• Links you include must add value.
• Reference using original sources.  Use Vancouver-style referencing.
• You may not use textbook material unless it is freely available on a reputable site.  (A textbook is a fantastic starting point.  Nonetheless, please look up the references used.)
• **Remember, your goal is to create an article that anyone can see.  With this point in mind, our expectation is that your article will have:
  • zero spelling errors,
  • zero grammatical errors, 
  • zero breaches of academic integrity, 
  • and zero copyright violations.
• Submit to Turnitin OR provide written documentation showing the development of your original content.

Please submit your article twice by April 21, 2021:

• Course instructors via Dropbox on LEARN for grading.
• Using a Physiopedia account, you have the unique opportunity to create a profile and submit your work for consideration by the Editors of Physiopedia.  Our goal is to help you contribute to knowledge in the real world!

Articles

Your topic focuses on the clinical biomechanics involved in a musculoskeletal condition. That is, your article must provide the reader with a deeper understanding of the biomechanical pathology/injury mechanisms underlying a clinical condition that affects muscle, joint and/or bone. Please do not provide an overview of the clinical condition itself. Potential clinical biomechanics articles that you may be assigned include the following:

• Whiplash Associated Disorders
• Temporomandibular Joint Disorders
• Intervertebral Disk Disease (Lumbar Spine)
• Facet Joint Syndrome (Lumbar Spine)
• Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
• Sacroiliac Pain
• Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
• Hand and Wrist Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Lateral Epicondylitis
• Rotator Cuff Impingement/Tear
• Femoroacetabular Impingement
• Iliotibial Band Syndrome
• Knee Osteoarthritis
• Patellofemoral Syndrome
• Posterior Cruciate Ligament Laxity/Tear
• Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury
• Meniscal Tear
• Tibial Stress Fracture
• Plantar Fasciitis
• Achilles Tendinopathy
• Tibialis Posterior Dysfunction
• Metatarsal Stress Fracture

Articles Created 2021

• ‎Clinical Biomechanics of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Biomechanics of Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Herniation
• Biomechanical Fundamentals of Sacroiliac Joint Pain
• ‎Biomechanical Risk Factors of Tibial Stress Fractures
• ‎Biomechanical considerations in long-term management of Knee Osteoarthritis
• ‎Lumbar Facet Joint Syndrome: Causes and Preventions in the Workplace (To be reviewed)
• ‎Pathomechanics of Femoroacetabular Impingement
• ‎Metatarsal Stress Fractures in the Athletic Population
• ‎Biomechanics of Plantar Fasciitis
• ‎Achilles Tendinopathy - Biomechanical Properties (To be reviewed)
• ‎Clinical Biomechanics of Rotator Cuff Tears
• ‎Clinical Biomechanics of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
• ‎Clinical Biomechanics of Iliotibial Band Syndrome
• ‎The Biomechanical Mechanisms Behind Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (To be reviewed)
• ‎The Biomechanics Behind Whiplash Associated Disorder
• ‎Biomechanics of Hand and Wrist Deformities in Rheumatoid Arthritis (To be reviewed)
• ‎Biomechanics of Lateral Epicondylitis (To be reviewed)