Peter Cripton, P.Eng.
Associate Professor and Patrick Campbell Chair in Design
B.Sc. (Dalhousie), B.Eng. (Technical University of Nova Scotia), M.Sc.[Eng.] and Ph.D. (Queen’s), Postdoctoral Fellowship (Yale)
ph: (604) 822-6629
fx: (604) 822-2403
email: cripton@mech.ubc.ca
lab website: Orthopaedic and Injury Biomechanics Group
Research Interests
- Biomechanics of Traumatic Human Injury
- Biomechanics of the Cervical, Thoracic and Lumbar Spine
- Spine and Spinal Cord Injury
- Biomechanics of Hip Fracture
- Efficacy of Devices and Procedures used in Spine Surgery
- Injury Prevention (specifically prevention of spinal and hip injuries)
- Efficacy of Automotive Child Restraints
Current Research Work
- Our research focuses on the biomechanics of Human Injury, with an emphasis on spine and hip injuries. Working with clinical-science and basic-science researchers, we seek to advance the understanding of human injury from the perspectives of basic understanding, prevention, and treatment. Current projects include:
- Biomechanics of Spinal Injury: We are work to accurately model spinal injuries in the laboratory, using human cadaveric or representative animal cadaveric material and using computational models. We have studies focused on understanding and preventing spinal injuries in the pediatric, geriatric and normal adult population. One focus is in understanding the tolerance of the spinal cord to various injurious deformations so that this information can be used to improve preventative measures and treatment of spinal cord injuries. We are also developing a novel helmet-mounted device to prevent spinal injuries during the head-first impacts that happen during sports and transportation accidents.
- Biomechanics of Hip Injury: We study the basic mechanisms of hip fracture using cadaveric specimens and high speed data collection. It is one aim of this research to identify features in the bone architecture that predispose a specific hip to early fracture. This information can be used in preventative screening.
- Efficacy of Devices and Procedures used in Spine Surgery: Our research in this area includes using computational models and/or experimental approaches to evaluate the biomechanical performance of implantable spinal devices such as those used in spinal disc and facet joint arthroplasty. A long term goal of this research is to communicate this information to manufacturers and researchers so that it can be incorporated into the design cycle for these devices.
Selected Publications
- Saari A, Itshayek E, Nelson TS, Morley, P.L.; Cripton, P.A. (2006) Spinal Cord Deformation During Injury of the Cervical Spine in Head-First Impact. Proceedings of the International Research Council on the Biomechanics of Impacts – 2006 Annual Meeting. Madrid, Spain, September 20-22, 2006
- Tan JS, Bailey CS, Dvorak MF, Fisher CG, Cripton PA, Oxland TR (2006) Cement Augmentation of Vertebral Screws Enhances the Interface Strength between Interbody Device and Vertebra Body. Spine. 32(3):334-41
- Zhu Q, Larson CR, Sjovold SG, Rosler DM, Keynan O, Wilson DR, Cripton PA, Oxland TR (2006) Biomechanical evaluation of the total facet arthroplasty system™: three-dimensional kinematics. Spine. 32(1):55-62
- Villarraga, M.L., Cripton, P.A., Teti, S., Steffey, D.S., Krisnamuthy S., Albert, T., Hilibrand, A., Vaccaro, A. (2006) Wear and Corrosion Evaluation in Retrieved Thoraco-Lumbar Internal Fixation from 57 Patients. Spine. 31(21):2454-62
- Ivancic PC, Panjabi MM, Ito S, Cripton PA, Wang JL. (2005) Biofidelic whole cervical spine model with muscle force replication for whiplash simulation.
European Spine Journal, 14(4):346-55 - Zhu, Q., Lane, C., Ching, R.P., Gordon, J.D., Fisher, C.G., Dvorak, M.F., Cripton, P.A., Oxland, T.R., The degree of translational constraint influences dynamic spinal canal occlusion of the thoracic spine: an in vitro experimental study. Journal of Biomechanics (in press)
- Greaves LL, Zhu Q, Cluff, M, Greaves, CY, Melnyk, A, Peridos, A, Tredwell, S., Mulpuri, K., Cripton, PA (2007) The effect of age and gender on the three-dimensional kinematics of the pediatric cervical spine. Proceedings of the SAE Digital Human Modeling Conference, Seattle, USA, June 12-14, 2007 (8 page manuscript in proceedings)
- deBakker PM, Manske SL, Oxland T, Cripton PA, Guy P, Failure in Femoral Neck Fractures Initiates in the Superolateral Cortex: Evidence from High Speed Video of a Simulated Fracture. Proceedings of the Canadian Orthopaedic Research Society, Halifax, NS, June 1-3, 2007
