Using Cadaver Legs to Study ACL Injuries

My latest post at Wired Playbook profiles Mark Drakos, an orthopedic surgeon who uses cadaver legs to test the biomechanics of ACL injuries:

At times, Drakos seems like a typical orthopedist: seeing patients, prescribing meds, performing surgery. But in the lab, Drakos — always drawing on his previous athletic experience — turns orthopedic research into a team sport. Though he works with a dedicated group of researchers, the stars of Drakos’ squad are his custom-built rig, dubbed the ACL Dominator, and the troves of cadaver legs that cycle through the lab for testing.

Read the entire story here.

Photo via Flickr/TheBusyBrain

Drakos MC, Hillstrom H, Voos JE, Miller AN, Kraszewski AP, Wickiewicz TL, Warren RF, Allen AA, & O'Brien SJ (2010). The effect of the shoe-surface interface in the development of anterior cruciate ligament strain. Journal of biomechanical engineering, 132 (1) PMID: 20524741