Faculty News
Student News
Students in the Department of Physical Therapy recently traveled to the annual North Carolina Physical Therapy Association (NCPTA) state conference in Greensboro. In addition to participating in various workshops, several 3rd year students entered projects in the student research competition. Selection of awards were based on quality of the abstract and presentation. Students worked with faculty and clinical mentors when performing research.
The following awards were presented:

First Place: Addie Chlebnikow, Mason Shelton, (pictured above) Dr. D. S. Blaise Williams and Dr. Walt Jenkins
The Effect of Foot Orthotic Devices on Hip Joint Kinematics During Vertical Jump in Healthy Females

Second Place: Julia G. King, Katherine W. Stephenson (pictured above) and Dr. Terry E. Jones
Calcium Elevates Glut4 Transcriptional Activity in the Presence of Elevated Fatty Acids
Other entries included:
Whitney Woodhull, Dr. Bruce Albright
Do Shoes With Rocker-Bottom Soles Destabilize Posture in Response to Perturbed Stance?

Amanda Jernigan, Pattie Whitehurst, (pictured above) Dr. Leslie Allison
The Relationship Between Fear-of-Falling and Actual Balance Abilities in Community-Dwelling Adults

Melissa Hunley, Laurel Huntingford, Misti Pachner, Jessica Ruge, Collier, (pictured above) Dr. Amy Gross McMillan
Changes in Spatio-Temporal Gait Parameters in Adolescent Females Immediately following Weight Loss

Valerie Banning, (pictured above) Dr. Blaise Williams
Transverse Plane Biomechanics in Runners With and Without a History of Achilles Tendonitis
Faculty News & Events
The Department of Physical Therapy was awarded $100,000 from the Kate B. Reynolds Foundation (Drs Brunt, Allison, Gross McMillan were Co-PIs). This funding was used to purchase a motion analysis system for the new Gait and Balance Laboratory. This funding will allow the department to:
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Teach medical residents and fellows in the Division of Health Sciences, and regional health care providers, to use this prognostic/diagnostic information in the development and implementation of successful intervention programs.
Dr. Denis Brunt
Brunt D. Gait adaptations related to pathology and injury throughout the lifespan. Invited presenter; Symposium presented as programming for Biomechanics Interest Group American College of Sports Medicine Meeting, Denver, CO. May 2006.
Williams, D.S., Brunt, D. and Tanenberg, R. J. Diabetic neuropathy is related to changes in joint stiffness during late stance phase. American Society of Biomechanics, Blacksburg, VA. 2006.
Brunt D Williams DS, Stewart, D, Durland AN Kinematic and kinetic changes during slow sit to stand. International Society for Posture and Gait Research, Burlington, Vermont, June 2007.
Brunt D. Do shoe properties help prevent balance loss and falls. Invited Keynote speaker, 6th Staffordshire Conference on Clinical Biomechanics, Staffordshire University, England , April 2008.
Brunt D. Pediatric equinus gait – classification and treatment. Invited Keynote speaker, 6th Staffordshire Conference on Clinical Biomechanics, Staffordshire University, England , April 2008.
Dr. Bruce Albright
Dr. Albright is leading some interesting research on balance in rocker bottom shoes. Preliminary data is soon to be presented at CSM and is the first data to be presented using the Neurocom Research Platform at ECU.
Albright B, Curlee J, Piner A. "Effects of Rocker Bottom Soles on Postural Control Responses during Perturbed Stance" American Physical Therapy Association, Combined Sections Meeting, February 17, 2007.
Dr. Leslie Allison
Dr. Allison completed her PhD (University of Maryland) this past summer. She has two papers from her dissertation published in Experimental Brain Research
Allison, Kiemel & Jeka (2006) Multisensory reweighting is intact in healthy and fall-prone older adults. Exp Brain Res. 2006 175; 342-52.
Jeka, Allison, Saffer et al. (2006) Sensory reweighting with translational visual stimuli in young and elderly adults: the role of state dependent noise. Exp Brain Res 2006 174; 517-27.
Dr Allison was also invited to present at a seminar at the APTA Annual Conference in Orlando, June, 2006, The title of the seminar was ' Evidence Based Balance and Mobility Training in Elders'. Dr. Anne Shumway-Cook was co-presenter
Dr. Allison will also present at CSM as well as present at national workshops.
Effective Balance Interventions in the Elderly: Trends and Evidence” Seminar on Balance Disorders sponsored by University of North Florida and NeuroCom International, Inc. Nov. 2, 2006 in Jacksonville FL
“Reducing the Risk of Falls in the Elderly”Continuing education course sponsored by Care Resources, Inc. Nov. 17-18, 2006 in Baltimore, MD
“The Dynamics of Sensory Reweighting in Healthy and Fall-Prone Older Adults”
Research platform presentation at the APTA Combined Sections Meeting
February, 2007 in Boston, MA.
Dr. Amy Gross McMillan
Dr. Amy Gross McMillan is spearheading an initiative which will give the Department of Physical Therapy an integral role in the assessment and treatment of children who are overweight. Children being seen at the Pediatric Healthy Weight Clinic for medical and nutrition assessments will also come to the department for a comprehensive PT examination to include instrumented movement analysis in the Human Movement research Lab. Our input will be used to guide physical activity recommendations as part of these children’s overall weight loss program.
She will present some of her early work in this area at CSM.
McMillan AG, Williams DS, and Collier D "Ground Reaction Forces in Boys Who are Overweight Versus Healthy Weight During Walking and Sit to Stand", American Physical Therapy Association, Combined Sections Meeting, February 17, 2007
Dr. Walter Jenkins
Peer Reviewed Publications
Biggs A, Jenkins WL, Shelbourne KD. Rehabilitation following lateral repair: utilization of the knee symmetry model. In Clinical Orthopaedic Rehabilitation, ed. Rob Manske,CV Mosby, St. Louis, MO. submitted for publication, July 2008
Jenkins W, Williams DS, Durland A, Adams B, O’Brien K. Foot orthotic devices decrease transverse plane motion at the hip during landing from a forward jump in healthy females, submitted for publication to Applied Biomechanics, May 2008.
Tyler R, Jenkins WL. Rehabilitation following osteochondral injury to the knee. Orthopaedic Knowledge Update: Sports Medicine 4: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, submitted for publication, December 2007.
Jenkins WL, Biggs, A, Urch S, Shelbourne KD. Rehabilitation of the ACL: A Knee Symmetry Model, submitted for publication to the North American Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, January, 2008.
Jenkins WL, Raedeke S, Williams DS: The Relationship between Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury and the Utilization of Foot Orthotics, Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, 2008; 98:207-211
Jenkins WL, Killian CB, Williams DS 3rd, Loudon J, Raedeke SG: Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in the Female and Male Athlete: The Relationship Between Lower Extremity Structure and Injury, Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, 2007;97:371-376.
Jenkins Wl, Raedeke S: Lower extremity injury and foot orthotic device utilization in women’s basketball, Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association 2006; 96:408-412
Peer Reviewed Scientific and Professional Presentations
Examination of the Foot and Ankle, American Physical Therapy Association’s Sports Physical Therapy Section, Team Concept Conference, December 5, 2008, Lake Buena Vista, FL
Structure and Functionof Articular Cartilage. American Physical Therapy Association’s Sports Physical Therapy Section, Team Concept Conference, December 5, 2008, Lake Buena Vista, FL
Rehabilitation Considerations Following OATS and Osteochondral Allograft Surgery, American Physical Therapy Association’s Sports Physical Therapy Section, Team Concept Conference, December 5, 2008, Lake Buena Vista, FL
Golf Swing: Clinical Analysis: American Physical Therapy Association’s Sports Physical Therapy Section, Team Concept Conference, December 6, 2008, Lake Buena Vista, FL
Practice Management of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: Integrating Evidence into Clinical Practice, American Physical Therapy Association, Annual Conference and Exposition, June 14, 2008, San Antonio, TX.
Anterior Knee Pain: Rehabilitation Techniques Focusing on the Foot and Ankle, American Physical Therapy Association’s Sports Physical Therapy Section, Team Concept Conference, November 30, 2007, Las Vegas, NV
Examination of the Knee, American Physical Therapy Association’s Sports Physical Therapy Section, Team Concept Conference, November 30, 2007, Las Vegas, NV
Foot orthotic devices decrease transverse plane motion during landing from a forward jump in healthy females, Chlebnikow A, Shelton M, Durland AN, Adams BJ, Williams DS, Jenkins WL, NCPTA Fall Conference, October, 2007, Greensboro, NC (first place winner in the Student-Faculty Research contest)
Dr. Terry Jones
Dr. Jones presented a poster at ADA 2007 National Meeting entitled "Calcium Elevates GLUT4 Transcriptional Activity in the Presence of Elevated Fatty Acids".
In July, Dr. Jones submitted a NIH Mentored Research Scientist Development Award proposal entitled "Regulation of skeletal muscle GLUT4 gene expression by exercise and a high-fat diet".
Dr. Jones presented a poster at ACSM 2006 National Meeting entitled "Alterations in CVD Risk Factors and Satiety Hormones in Overweight Adolescents with Vigorous Exercise Training".
In September, Dr. Jones submitted a NIH Mentored Research Scientist Development Award proposal entitled "Regulation of skeletal muscle GLUT4 gene expression by exercise and a high-fat diet".
Dr. Blaise Williams
Dr. Williams sponsored a symposium at ACSM on gait adaptations throughout the lifespan. Speakers included Blaise Williams, Paul Devita and Denis Brunt from ECU and Tom Mcpoil from Northern Arizona University.
May 2006 American College of Sports Medicine Meeting, Denver, CO
Gait Adaptations Related to Pathology and Injury Throughout the Lifespan
Chair and presenter; Symposium presented as programming for Biomechanics Interest Group
Dr. Williams also continues to promote his work on gait in the diabetic population. He recently presented his work at ASB.
Williams, D.S., Brunt, D. and Tanenberg, R. J. "Diabetic Neuropathy is Related to Changes in Joint Stiffness during Late Stance Phase" American Society of Biomechanics, Blacksburg, VA. 2006.
Dr. Williams is also working on a collaborative project with Dr. Ray Moss from Furman University. Dr. Williams and Dr. Moss are investigating the effects of aging on the biomechanics of running. The project is partially supported by New Balance.
Dr. Wayne Scott
Dr. Scott's previous work examined the effects of chronic diseases such as spinal cord injury and HIV infection on the function of muscle. At ECU, Dr. Scott's work will focus on the effects of obesity and diabetes
on muscle function. He has recently published his work in Physical Therapy and has a paper in review in Muscle and Nerve.
W.B. Scott, S.C.K. Lee, T.E. Johnston, J. Binkley, S.A. Binder-Macleod Contractile Properties and the Force-Frequency Relationship of the Paralyzed Human Quadriceps Muscle. Phys Ther 86: 788-799, 2006.
W.B. Scott, S.C.K. Lee, T.E. Johnston, J. Binkley, S.A. Binder-Macleod Effect of Electrical Stimulation Pattern on the Force Responses of Paralyzed and Non-paralyzed Human Quadriceps Muscles. In Review Muscle Nerve.