[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-127589-en":3,"doc-seo-127589-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":92},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":20,"is_downloadable":20,"audit_status":20,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":27,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},127589,549768064622,"Anda","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8",8,"Research & Report","PTJC Project - Effect of Freeze Thaw Cycles on Elbow Mobility and Use of Machine Learning to Analyze MRI Images","The final report details a 2023 Spring independent study within Dr. Lake’s musculoskeletal soft tissue lab, focused on the Post Traumatic Joint Contracture (PTJC) project. It develops and tests a rat elbow model to evaluate how repeated freeze-thaw cycles affect elbow range of motion, measuring flexion-extension after sacrifice and subsequent thaw trials. The report also presents a workflow for tracing the elbow capsule and cartilage on MRI for machine learning inputs, aiming to predict PTJC risk and support diagnosis by enhancing lower-quality images.","Washington University in St. Louis  \nWashington University Open Scholarship  \n\n| Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study | Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science |\n| --- | --- |\n| 5-22-2023\u003Cbr>PTJC Project: Effect of freeze thaw cycles on elbow mobility and the use of machine learning to analyze MRI images of the anterior capsule\u003Cbr>Sophia Miller\u003Cbr>Washington University in St. Louis\u003Cbr>Follow this and additional works at: [https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mems500](https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mems500) |  |\n\nRecommended Citation  \nMiller, Sophia, \"PTJC Project: Effect of freeze thaw cycles on elbow mobility and the use of machine learning to analyze MRI images of the anterior capsule\" (2023) . Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study. 235.  \n[https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mems500/235](https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mems500/235)  \nThis Final Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science at Washington University Open Scholarship. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study by an authorized administrator of Washington University Open Scholarship. For more information, please [contact](contact digital@wumail.wustl.edu)[ digital@wumail.wustl.edu](contact digital@wumail.wustl.edu).  \nAbstract  \nThroughout the 2023 Spring semester I worked in Dr. Lake’s musculoskeletal soft tissue lab on the Post Traumatic Joint Contracture(PTJC) project. This project has developed a rat model of the elbow to try to better understand the causes and treatments for PTJC. I have worked on two different projects within the larger PTJC project this semester. The first project tested the range of motion in rats immediately after sacrifice, and then after freeze thaw cycles. The typical procedure used for experiments in the lab is to sacrifice the animals and then freeze them before performing range of motion testing. This project tested the animals range of motion immediately after sacrifice and then again after the elbow had been frozen to investigate whether there would be a change in the range of motion(flexion-extension) . The second project involved tracing the capsule and cartilage on rat elbow MRI images. The tracings serve as input data for a machine learning algorithm that is aiming to predict when a patient will develop PTJC and how to treat it. MRI is a non invasive method to visualize the elbow joint. The goal of this project is to use machine learning to identify the capsule and enhance lower quality MRI images to diagnose PTJC.  \n1. Introduction  \nThe elbow is a complex and understudied join in the human body. There are three separate bones that allow for flexion/extension and supination/pronation. PTJC is mainly caused by the thickening of the fibrosis around the joint capsule. PTJC leads to a loss in range of motion and causes joint contracture. There is no method of predicting which patients will develop PTJC and there aren’t any good surgical interventions.1  \nThe Lake Lab has developed a rat model for modeling PTJC. The Long Evans breed of rat was chosen due to its anatomical similarities to a human elbow. The rat has the ability for flexion/  \n1 David MA, Chamberlain AM, Lake SP. Preclinical Models of Elbow Injury and Pathology. Ann Jt. 2021 Jan;6:12 . doi: 10.21037/aoj.2020.02.09. Epub 2021 Jan 15. PMID: 35990575; PMCID: PMC9390859 .  \nextension and supination/pronation. The Lake lab has developed different ways of quantifying the severity of PTJC and elbow contracture.2 The lab uses a Biax machine to test the range of motion(flexion/extension) in a rat post sacrifice. The procedure developed by the Lake lab freezes the animal post sacrifice, and then thaws it for dissection. This experiment tested this freezing procedure. The animal was dissected immediately after sacrifice and its range of motion was tested. The elbow was then frozen and thawed three more times, while testing t","cbCaibwE9ku8ceSI","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaibwE9ku8ceSI","pdf",1584039,1,7,"English","en",105,"# Introduction\n## PTJC and the rat model\n# Methods\n## Freeze-thaw experiment\n## MRI tracing for machine learning input data","[{\"question\":\"What is the PTJC project and why was a rat elbow model used?\",\"answer\":\"The PTJC project studies post-traumatic joint contracture caused by fibrosis around the elbow joint capsule. A rat model was used because of its anatomical similarities to a human elbow and its ability to perform flexion/extension and supination/pronation.\"},{\"question\":\"How were freeze-thaw cycles evaluated in the study?\",\"answer\":\"Elbows were tested for range of motion immediately after sacrifice, then again after multiple rounds of freezing and thawing. Range of motion angles were measured and recorded from Biax testing and the resulting images were processed in ImageJ.\"},{\"question\":\"How does machine learning relate to the MRI analysis in the report?\",\"answer\":\"The study traced the capsule and cartilage on rat elbow MRI images to create input data for a machine learning algorithm. The intended outcome is improved diagnosis of PTJC by identifying the capsule and enhancing lower-quality MRI images.\"}]","PTJC Project - Effect of Freeze Thaw Cycles on Elbow Mobility and Use of Machine Learning to Analyze MRI Images | PDF",1785940146,18,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":24,"language":23,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":87,"head_meta":89,"extra_data":91,"updated_unix":28},"ptjc-project-effect-of-freeze-thaw-cycles-on-elbow-mobility-and-use-of-machine-learning-to-analyze-mri-images","",{"@graph":36,"@context":86},[37,54,69],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,48,51],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":47},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":49,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":50},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":52,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":53},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/ptjc-project-effect-of-freeze-thaw-cycles-on-elbow-mobility-and-use-of-machine-learning-to-analyze-mri-images/127589/",4,{"url":52,"name":13,"@type":55,"author":56,"headline":13,"publisher":58,"fileFormat":61,"inLanguage":23,"description":14,"dateModified":62,"datePublished":63,"encodingFormat":61,"isAccessibleForFree":64,"interactionStatistic":65},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":57},"Person",{"url":41,"name":59,"@type":60},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-08-22","2026-08-05",true,{"@type":66,"interactionType":67,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":68},"ViewAction",{"@type":70,"mainEntity":71},"FAQPage",[72,78,82],{"name":73,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":75},"What is the PTJC project and why was a rat elbow model used?","Question",{"text":76,"@type":77},"The PTJC project studies post-traumatic joint contracture caused by fibrosis around the elbow joint capsule. A rat model was used because of its anatomical similarities to a human elbow and its ability to perform flexion/extension and supination/pronation.","Answer",{"name":79,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":80},"How were freeze-thaw cycles evaluated in the study?",{"text":81,"@type":77},"Elbows were tested for range of motion immediately after sacrifice, then again after multiple rounds of freezing and thawing. Range of motion angles were measured and recorded from Biax testing and the resulting images were processed in ImageJ.",{"name":83,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":84},"How does machine learning relate to the MRI analysis in the report?",{"text":85,"@type":77},"The study traced the capsule and cartilage on rat elbow MRI images to create input data for a machine learning algorithm. The intended outcome is improved diagnosis of PTJC by identifying the capsule and enhancing lower-quality MRI images.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":52,"og:type":88,"og:title":13,"og:site_name":59,"og:description":14},"article",{"robots":90,"canonical":52},"index,follow",{"doc_id":7,"site_id":24},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":93},[94,98,102,106,111,116,120,123,128,131,135],{"id":20,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":95,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":97},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":47,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":99,"show_sort_weight":100,"slug":101},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":53,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":107,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":108,"show_sort_weight":109,"slug":110},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":112,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":113,"show_sort_weight":114,"slug":115},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":21,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":11,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":12,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},30,"research-report",{"id":124,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":126,"slug":127},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":126,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":126,"slug":130},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":132,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":133,"show_sort_weight":132,"slug":134},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":136,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":137,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":138},19,"General","general"]