Steven Pretty

Graduate Student, PhD

Education

BSc Kinesiology 2016 (University of Waterloo)

MSc Kinesiology 2018 (University of Waterloo)

MSc Thesis

Participant-Specific Modelling of the Proximal Femur during Lateral Falls: A Mechanistic Evaluation of Risk Factors

Research Interests

Impact Biomechanics
  • The influence of age, gender, and anthropometrics on the biomechanical effectiveness of external engineering interventions aimed at reducing tissue trauma. Findings will inform the potential value of tailoring protective products to the anthropometrics of individual users.
  • The influence of anthropometrics and femoral geometry on impact dynamics and fracture risk during lateral falls onto the hip. Findings will inform the mechanistic pathway by which these factors modulate clinical hip fracture risk.

Balance and Fall Dynamics

  • The influence of increased passive stiffness, observed with ageing, on balance recovery during reactive stepping.
  • The influence of lower limb muscle quality, assessed by peripheral imaging technologies, and strength on balance and fall risk.
  • Video analysis of falls in long term care

Soft Tissue Mechanics

  • The influence of age, gender, and anthropometrics on the mechanical properties of soft tissues overlying the hip. These soft tissues act as energy absorbers during impacts but mechanical properties influence their efficacy in reducing the risk of hip fracture. Findings will inform the potential value of inclusion of these properties in clinical screening as well as tailoring of protective devices.
Steven Pretty

Publications

  • Lafleur, B.R., Tondat, A.M., Pretty, S.P., Mourtzakis, M., & Laing, A.C. (2021). The Effects of Body Position and Imaging Modality on Trochanteric Soft Tissue Thickness. Journal of Applied Biomechanics. Manuscript ID: JAB-2020-0156 (In press).

  • Pretty, S.P., Levine, I.C., & Laing, A.C. (2021). Anatomically Aligned Loading During Falls: Influence of Fall Protocol, Sex and Trochanteric Soft Tissue Thickness. Annals of Biomedical Engineering, doi: 10.1007/s10439-021-02852-6. Epub ahead of print.

  • Pretty, S.P., Levine, I.C., & Laing, A.C. (2021). Factors that influence the distribution of impact force relative to the proximal femur during lateral falls. Journal of Biomechanics, 127:110679.

  • Armstrong, D., Pretty, S.P., Weaver, T.B., & Laing, A.C. (2021). Application of Principal Component Analysis to Forward Reactive Stepping: Whole-body Movement Strategy Differs as a Function of Age and Sex. Gait and Posture, 89, 38-44.

  • Pretty, S.P., Armstrong, D., Weaver, T.B., & Laing, A.C. (2019). The influence of increased passive stiffness of the trunk and hips on balance control during reactive stepping. Gait and Posture, 72, 51-56.

  • Armstrong, D., Pretty, S.P., Weaver, T.B., & Laing, A.C. (2019). Body Configuration as a Predictor of Center of Mass Displacement in a Forward Reactive Step. Human Movement Sciences, 66, 292-300.

  • Levine, I.C., Pretty, S.P., Nouri, P., Mourtzakis, M., & Laing, A.C. (2018). Pelvis and Femur Geometry: Relationship to Impact Characteristics during Sideways Falls on the Hip. Journal of Biomechanics, 80, 72-78.

  • Martel, D.R., Levine, I.C., Pretty, S.P., & Laing, A.C. (2018). The influence of muscle activation on impact dynamics during lateral falls on the hip. Journal of Biomechanics, 66, 111–118.

  • Pretty, S.P., Martel, D., & Laing, A.C. (2017). The Influence of Body Mass Index, Sex, & Muscle Activation on Pressure Distribution During Lateral Falls on the Hip. Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 45, 2775–2783.

Links
Contact information: Steven Pretty