Posts tagged veterans
CU research propels “Blade Runner” to Olympics
Jul 11th
Professors Rodger Kram and Alena Grabowski of the integrative physiology department have been involved in several studies analyzing the performance of amputee athletes, including Pistorius, who use blade-like, carbon fiber leg prostheses in track events. In 2007, Pistorius was barred from international competition by officials from the International Association of Athletics Federations, or IAAF, who ruled his Cheetah Flex-Foot leg prostheses conferred him an advantage over other runners.
Barred from competition, then exonerated
The decision was based in large part on a German study commissioned by the IAAF. However, data presented in April 2008 by a team that included Kram and Grabowski to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland — an international group set up to settle disputes in sports — showed Pistorius gained no physiological advantage from the Cheetah prostheses over competitors. The team’s evidence and testimony played a key role in overturning the decision, allowing Pistorius to compete in able-bodied events.
“The methodology of the German study that involved measuring Oscar’s oxygen consumption while running was flawed,” said Kram, who has been measuring the oxygen consumption of runners since 1983. “When we had a chance to properly measure Oscar we found that while he is quite economical in oxygen consumption compared to your average Joe, his values are well within what would be expected for a high-caliber athlete.”
At the arbitration hearings in Switzerland, Kram also argued that if a prosthetic device provides a mechanical advantage, it would very likely provide an energetic or physiological advantage. “Since there is no energetic advantage, it infers that the prostheses do not provide a mechanical advantage either,” said Kram.
Another chance
Although Pistorius subsequently failed to make the 2008 Olympic team, he was selected by South Africa’s Olympic Committee last week to run in both the individual 400 meters and a leg of the 4×400 meter relay in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, which begin on July 27. “I was delighted that Oscar was selected,” said Kram. “I was sure he’d be named to the 4×400 meter relay, but being named to the 400-meter individual event was a surprise.”
Since 2008, the research team involving CU-Boulder has continued its studies. In a 2010 study led by Grabowski, researchers used force-measuring treadmills to analyze the biomechanics of unilateral amputees — those with one amputated leg — over a wide range of running speeds. The team found the force produced by the prosthetic, carbon fiber leg was 9 percent less than that of the unaffected leg. “Applying force to the ground is crucial in sprinting events,” said Grabowski.
“We inferred that running-specific prostheses impair force generation and likely limit top sprinting speed,” said Grabowski, who received her doctorate under Kram in 2008 and recently returned to CU-Boulder as a research faculty member after doing postdoctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Other authors on the 2010 paper included Kram, Craig McGowan of the University of Idaho, William McDermott of the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Murray, Utah, and Hugh Herr of MIT.
In a 2012 paper by the same group and led by McGowan, the leg stiffness of Paralympic sprinters with both unilateral and bilateral leg amputations was compared to non-amputee sprinters across a range of speeds. The team found leg stiffness remained constant or increased with speed in non-amputees but decreased in sprinting amputees.
“During running, the leg behaves much like a spring, and the stiffness of the leg greatly influences the overall mechanics of the runner,” said Grabowski. “The study indicates that the prosthetic device limits the ability of a sprinter to change their leg stiffness during running.” In the future, she said, researchers may be able to design a prosthetic device with “adaptive stiffness” that would more accurately emulate the mechanics of a biological ankle during sprinting.
Research fueled by veterans needs
Grabowski, whose work is funded by the Veterans Administration, is particularly interested in designing better prosthetic ankle devices for military veterans or those on active duty who have undergone amputations. In collaboration with the Denver Department of Veterans Affairs, Grabowski is beginning a research effort to further develop battery-powered ankle-foot prostheses for walking and running. Such prostheses have the potential to restore mobility to users similar to the mobility they had prior to amputation, she said.
The research team is interested in locating potential test subjects in the Denver-Boulder area with leg amputations to participate in lab studies. “CU-Boulder is actively pursuing research that aims to improve the lives of amputees, particularly veterans and current military personnel,” she said. Potential study candidates can contact Grabowski at Alena.Grabowski@colorado.edu.
Research in Kram’s Locomotion Laboratory on the CU-Boulder campus goes far beyond athletics. Collaborating faculty and students are targeting the energetic costs of walking, including uphill and downhill walking in older adults; the energetics of passive cycling to treat and prevent obesity and heart disease; and studies on animal locomotion, including kangaroos, tortoises and elephants.
For more information on the CU-Boulder Locomotion Laboratory visit http://www.colorado.edu/intphys/research/locomotion.html. For more information on CU’s integrative physiology department visithttp://www.colorado.edu/intphys/.
Boulder offers vets a free 90-day rec pass
May 17th
The Boulder Parks and Recreation Department will offer a special recreation facility pass program for veterans, active duty and reservist military personnel beginning Monday, May 21. Boulder City Councilmember Tim Plass proposed the program, which was approved by City Council on May 15.
The program includes a one-time, free, 90-day recreation facility pass for post-9/11 veterans who are City of Boulder residents. It also offers a 25 percent discount on annual passes for all military personnel and veterans who reside in the City of Boulder or Boulder County. The program is not retroactive for current pass holders. The passes provide entry to all three city recreation centers, two outdoor pools and the Boulder Reservoir.
“We are honored to offer this program and provide an opportunity for returning veterans and other service personnel to participate in health and fitness programs in our local community,” said Alice Guthrie, recreation superintendent for the Parks and Recreation Department.
To qualify, applicants must have served in one of the following branches of service, identified by the Department of Defense:
● Army
● Navy
● Air Force
● Marines
● Coast Guard
● National Guard
● Merchant Marines
To receive the free 90-day recreation pass, applicants must go to the Parks and Recreation administrative offices at 3198 Broadway Ave. and show a DD-214 form with separation date and a photo ID. To receive the 25 percent discount, applicants must bring either a DD-214 form, valid Veterans ID from the Veterans Affairs Office or valid Active Duty or Reservist ID to one of the three city recreation centers (North Boulder Recreation Center at 3170 Broadway Ave., East Boulder Community Center at 5660 Sioux Drive or South Boulder Recreation Center at 1360 Gillaspie Drive).
The Parks and Recreation Department also offers veterans a variety of therapeutic recreation programs through the EXPAND (EXciting Programs, Adventures and New Dimensions) program.
For more information on the veterans and active duty military personnel facility pass program, visit www.BoulderParks-Rec.org.
Boulder County: Housing hope for homeless vets
Mar 30th
First-ever investment will also bring VA case management to Boulder County
Boulder County, Colo. – As a result of an interagency collaboration, Boulder County will receive $229,620 to help house homeless veterans. The grant, announced earlier this week, will come to the county in the form of 25 vouchers known as VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) awards.
The federal departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) are working together for the first time to simultaneously meet the immediate need for housing and the ongoing need for human services for chronically homeless veterans and their families. While this collaboration has been underway since 2009, this is the first time Boulder County has received the federal grant focused specifically on housing homeless veterans.
Boulder County’s Department of Housing and Human Services (HHS) will administer the program. HHS Housing Division Director Willa Williford noted that the VASH vouchers come at a crucial time. “Boulder County has the second largest homeless population in the Denver metro area,” Williford said. “In the past five years, we’ve seen homelessness in Boulder County nearly double; the most recent count was almost 1,800 individuals. Many people are surprised to learn that 10 percent of Boulder County’s homeless are veterans, so while these vouchers just scratch the surface, they’re a welcome acknowledgement of the depth of need in our community.”
The Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services, in collaboration with Boulder Housing Partners and the Longmont Housing Authority, are working with the VA on a timeline for implementation of the vouchers and specifics around how the program will work. The VA also plans to place a case worker in Boulder County, and for veterans this will help ease the stress of needing to travel to Denver for services.
The VASH vouchers awarded to Boulder County are largely the result of advocacy at the federal level by Boulder Housing Partners. The grant is also due in part to strong support from Sen. Mark Udall and Reps. Jared Polis and Cory Gardner.
The Boulder County Commissioners have also been supportive of the effort. “This grant will help some of our veterans find a safe and affordable place to live,” Commissioner Deb Gardner said. “Creating that stability for people is a critical piece of the county’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness and we’re thankful for the collaboration that brought this program together. We look forward to working with all willing partners as we work to reduce and end homelessness.”