Education

• Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, May 2010
• M.S. Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, August 2006
• B.S. Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, May 2004

Research Statement

Advanced Imaging: Early diagnosis and treatment tracking using advanced imaging methods is a path to patient tailored medicine. Technologies such as MR and CT imaging are commonplace diagnostic tools; and are also being actively enhanced to reduce cost, patient burden, and to improve image fidelity.  These imaging modalities are creatively used to garner additional information – such as biplane fluoroscopy to capture dynamic joint motion, or gated MR to capture soft tissue deformation under load. Dr. Iaquinto’s interests in this field encompass the novel use of modern imaging techniques to capture musculoskeletal kinematics, rapid, bulk and optimized image processing methodologies, and isolating specific anatomical features from imaging - for analysis of functional deficit.

Patient Specific Diagnosis: Leveraging the advanced imaging techniques mentioned above, it is possible to discretely label the specific features of a patient’s injury state. This personalizes medical diagnostics – a key requirement for individually tailored treatment strategies. In the realm of lower extremity musculoskeletal function, Dr. Iaquinto’s interests are to: identify kinematic precursors or markers for serious and potentially mobility-threatening disorders, track the health of tissues in situ and create injury risk models, and develop additional research and clinical image-based feedback tools to guide conservative and surgical treatment strategies.

Pathologies and Directions of Research Interest: Dr. Iaquinto is actively using the technologies and directions mentioned to: Ligament Injury pursue new techniques in evaluating foot ligament health in chronically injured / sprained populations, determine and track the mechanical properties of ligaments in situ, model dynamic ligament motion during gait and delineate behavioral changes based on injury and disease (e.g. changes in diabetic soft tissue behavior); Joint Kinematics identify patterns of foot joint disturbance arising from chronic and acute injury (e.g. lateral ankle instability), and evaluate their effect on long term treatment, as well as tracking that treatment – with the ultimate goal of predicting the best course of treatment from an early analysis of the injury patterns; Accessibility and Quality developing software to automate and improve image analysis speeds – a requirement for clinical utility, reducing patient burden due to time needed for imaging studies, and reducing radiation risk (in the case of CT / fluoroscopic imaging) by using statistical density modeling.

These interests span basic science to translational research, and are multi-disciplinary research efforts involving clinicians, motion and kinematic researchers, tissue and cellular biologists, and image processing experts.

Summary: There are increasing numbers of advanced imaging techniques available to researchers and there are many untapped avenues for utilizing these techniques (rapid modeling, population/injury trait detection, patient monitoring etc.) that can provide tremendous benefit to the healthcare field.

Select publications

1. Iaquinto JM, Tsai R, Haynor DR, Fassbind MJ, Sangeorzan BJ, Ledoux WR. (2013) Marker-Based Validation of a Biplane Fluoroscopy System for Quantifying Foot Kinematics, Medical Engineering and Physics, 2014 Mar 36(3): 391-6. PMID: 24075068
2. Miller AN, Barei DP, Iaquinto JM, Ledoux WR, Beingessner DM. Iatrogenic Syndesmosis Malreduction via Clamp and Screw Placement, Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, 2013 Feb 27(2): 100-6. PMID: 22549032
3. Isvilanonda V, Dengler E, Iaquinto JM, Sangeorzan BJ, Ledoux WR. Finite element analysis of the foot: Model validation and comparison between two common treatments of the clawed hallux deformity, Clinical Biomechanics, 2012 Vol 27(8):837-44. PMID: 22694884
4. Deignan BJ, Iaquinto JM, Eskildsen SM, Woodcock CA, Owen JR, Wayne JS, Kuester VG. (2011) Effect of Pressure Applied During Casting on Temperatures beneath Casts, Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics, 2011 Vol 31(7): 791-7. PMID: 21926879
5. Iaquinto JM, Wayne JS. Effects of Surgical Correction for the Treatment of Adult Acquired Flatfoot Deformity: A Computational Investigation, Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 2011 Vol 29(7):1047-54, PMID: 21319218
6. Iaquinto JM, Wayne JS. Computational Model of the Lower Leg and Foot/Ankle Complex: Application to Arch Stability, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering 2010 Jan 132(2): 021009. PMID: 20370246
7. Iaquinto JM, Wayne JS. Simulation of Contact Gait in the Cadaveric Lower Extremity using a Novel Below Knee Simulator. Foot and Ankle International, 2008 Vol. 29(1): 66-71. PMID: 18275740
8. Scott AT, Hendry TM, Iaquinto JM, Owen JR, Wayne JS, Adelaar RS. Plantar pressure analysis in cadaver feet after bony procedures commonly used in the treatment of stage II posterior tibial tendon insufficiency. Foot and Ankle International, 2007 Nov; 28(11): 1143-53. PMID: 18021582