A Matlab toolbox for scaled-generic modeling of shoulder and elbow

Abstract

There still remains a barrier ahead of widespread clinical applications of upper extremity musculoskeletal models. This study is a step toward lifting this barrier for a shoulder musculoskeletal model by enhancing its realism and facilitating its applications. To this end, two main improvements are considered. First, the elbow and the muscle groups spanning the elbow are included in the model. Second, scaling routines are developed that scale model’s bone segment inertial properties, skeletal morphologies, and muscles architectures according to a specific subject. The model is also presented as a Matlab toolbox with a graphical user interface to exempt its users from further programming. We evaluated effects of anthropometric parameters, including subject’s gender, height, weight, glenoid inclination, and degenerations of rotator cuff muscles on the glenohumeral joint reaction force (JRF) predictions. An arm abduction motion in the scapula plane is simulated while each of the parameters is independently varied. The results indeed illustrate the effect of anthropometric parameters and provide JRF predictions with less than 13% difference compared to in vivo studies. The developed Matlab toolbox could be populated with pre/post operative patients of total shoulder arthroplasty to answer clinical questions regarding treatments of glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis.