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Mechanical engineering major Katie Pitz ’08 (Millers, Md.) is working on an honors project which looks at the stress incurred by the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee and how it compares among men and women. She is working with Steven Nesbit, associate professor of mechanical engineering, as her adviser.
My sophomore year at Lafayette, I had to decide between a biology or engineering major. I’d managed to straddle the curricula for both majors throughout freshmen year, but I knew that I’d ultimately have to choose between the two.
I decided to major in mechanical engineering, recognizing that I could apply many engineering principles to biological concepts, and eventually enter the field of biomechanical engineering. As a senior, I’ve managed to combine the two fields through an honors project. I have spent the year working with Professor Nesbit, who has done previous research in the field of biomechanics, to define and analyze a problem.
The first step in my project was to define that problem. I knew I was interested in biomechanics and wanted to study a joint, but I wasn’t sure which joint and in what capacity. After enduring two anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, reconstructive surgeries, and periods of rehabilitation and physical therapy, I felt that I had a fairly comprehensive understanding of the knee. I decided to use what I knew, and was interested in, to focus my research.
I began researching previous studies done on the knee, to find out what was known, what was being studied, and what was still a complete mystery about the function of the knee. I discovered that despite the fact that most people are aware that women are more likely to tear an ACL than their male counterparts, there are a variety of factors cited as to why this may be the case. The contributing factors can essentially be divided into two groups: those that are related to the actual geometry of the knee and the ACL, or those things that relate to the specific way in which women load their knees during activity.
After deciding to delve into the question of gender differences in ACL rupture, my next step was to determine how I would go about analyzing the problem. Knowing that I was not going to be able to definitively answer a question that has been extensively studied without such a solution, I chose to aim my research more generally-toward determining whether ACL stress could be best attributed to geometry or to specific loading patterns.
I am currently working on a clinical type study in which I use motion capture software to record athletic maneuvers done by both male and female volunteers. Using another piece of software, I can determine what forces are acting on their knees during those motions. Finally, I will apply those forces to a finite element model of the ACL to determine what motions cause the greatest stresses in the model and how it differs among genders.
While I still have to complete my analysis, I think that working on this project has been incredibly rewarding. I’ve been required to learn various software packages and prepare proposals to have my research approved. While my results may not be ground-shattering or even conclusive, I’ve learned an incredible amount about the research process. I think that engaging in this research project has really prepared me for graduate study, where I hope to continue to blend biology and engineering.
Pitz spent the spring 2006 semester in Brussels, Belgium, studying engineering, art history, languages, and culture at an English-speaking liberal arts college. She was also part of a team of engineering students who created a musical instrument ice in conjunction with an art exhibit at the Williams Center for the Arts. Pitz is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Club Field Hockey team at Lafayette. She is currently deciding between graduate school, Teach for America, or the Peace Corps for next year.
Lafayette’s focus on close student-faculty interaction has made it a national leader in undergraduate research. Some of the College’s research programs include honors theses, independent study, and the distinctive EXCEL Scholars program. Many of the hundreds of students who participate in these programs each year share their work through articles in academic journals and/or conference presentations.