Last week I mentioned that I would be researching Cerebral Palsy; however, that project was not ready yet. Now, I am working on a project that analyzes biomechanical data of people who have undergone a rotationplasty. A rotationplasty, also known as a Van Nes rotation, is a surgical procedure that can be used to treat tumors that develop near the knee. This procedure replaces the knee joint with the ankle joint which will act as the new knee joint. This procedure is an alternative to an above-the-knee amputation.
Right now I am using the program Visual3D. This is an advanced biomechanical analysis software that makes the rotationplasty 3D motion capture data available. I have been working with my Principal Investigator (PI) to learn how to work the software and collect the desired data. This project has had a bit of a learning curve, but I am learning and attaining new skills with unfamiliar software.
A new spot Josalin, a fellow intern from Cornell, and I found this past weekThe biomechanical data I am analyzing was captured using 3D motion capture at the Center for Gait and Movement Analysis at Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHCO). This past week, we had the opportunity to visit and see how 3D motion capture is performed. Out of our group, I was the lucky person who got to be the test subject. Electromyography (EMG) sensors and motion capture markers were placed on me, and I was instructed to walk over a series of force plates. From there, we could look at the data that was collected. The time spent in the Center for Gait and Movement Analysis was an unforgettable experience that will help me for the rest of the summer and in my future career as a physician.
Part of the process of setting up for the gait test in The Center for Gait and Movement Analysis.
A picture outside our home for the summer. Who knew Thistles could get this tall?In the past two weeks, the other interns and I have attended multiple lectures. These include a lecture on rotator cuff injuries, pediatric brain tumors, how to effectively use PubMed, and Fetal Growth Restriction (FGR). These lectures have been some of the many highlights I have had during my time at Children’s Hospital Colorado. I love that I am learning from experts in their respective fields about topics I am unfamiliar with. The learning environment that is fostered at CHCO is something I will look for in my future place of employment.
As I previously mentioned, Children’s Hospital Colorado is an amazing learning environment. At all levels, employees are happy to answer questions and take time out of their busy schedules to work with us interns. This environment fostered at CHCO makes it easy to go to work every day. When working in this type of environment, a sense of family is created. Everyone is supportive and wants those around them to succeed. I feel lucky to have been selected for this internship, and I plan to continue to make the most out of it. I am so excited that one day I may get to work somewhere like this full-time.
Fellow Cornell Student, Madi Lockwood (‘25), has been showing me around Colorado. We recently went to a Colorado Rockies game and explored downtown Denver.