iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Dr Zoe Self Davies

anatsoc.bsky.social @anatsoc.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Kicking off the final day is @drselfy.bsky.social exploring the comparative anatomy of movement across two, three and four legs. From #gait analysis to tripedal canine #biomechanics, a fascinating reminder of how anatomy and biomechanics work together to shape locomotion across species.

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Reposted by Dr Zoe Self Davies

Peter Falkingham @peterfalkingham.com · 03/06/2026

Great first paper from PhD student @rebeccalowes.bsky.social , running a sensitivity analysis on Range of Motion and what matters. Lots and lots of work in this one, but the gist is, it matters a lot how you select your articular surface: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Digital range of motion analysis is sensitive to subjective steps in joint model construction

A systematic sensitivity analysis of a six degree-of-freedom range of motion (ROM) analysis workflow was conducted to evaluate how variation in the subjective steps of the reference pose assembly aff...

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Reposted by Dr Zoe Self Davies

Royal Society Publishing @royalsocietypublishing.org · 11/05/2026

Watch #ProcB author Zoe Self Davies talk about research that investigated whether 3-legged dogs use distinct limb sequences which could be determined as gaits, with clearly defined kinematics and kinetics: cassyni.com/events/9DLfz... #biomechanics

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Reposted by Dr Zoe Self Davies

Royal Society Publishing @royalsocietypublishing.org · 08/05/2026

Locomotion on three legs: the tripedal gaits of canine amputees: doi.org/10.1098/rspb... #ProcB #biomechanics

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

These look like incredibly compliant alpacas! 😆

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Thanks for coming to my text talk 😉

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

15) When looking at the forces acting on the limbs, the single limb in forelimb amputees in particular took around 50% of the weight of the dog, while the forces in hindlimb amputees were much more evenly distributed across the three legs...

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

14) We also saw a trot-like gait in hindlimb amputees and a pace-like gait in forelimb amputees...

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

13) The second was a more unusual gait where the remaining par of limbs walked (in the same way a human might walk) and the single limb bounced at a higher frequency so it hit the ground more than once per stride...

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

12) The first strategy was a slowed down version of the gallop...

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

11) The results showed that at higher speeds, three-legged dogs used a gallop-like gait, similar to that seen in four-legged dogs. But at slower speeds, three-legged dogs used two different strategies...

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

10) I wanted to see whether three-legged dogs use distinct gaits with increasing speed as we see in 4-legged dogs. Data was collected in the Structure and Motion Lab (can probably link to it) at the RVC using a 3D motion capture system and force plates to measure the movements of the dogs...

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

9) At slower speeds, it looks a bit messier, there’s a lot of bouncing and it looks like quite a lot of effort...

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

8) When you look at a 3-legged dog, when they’re moving fast, the movement looks pretty smooth and regular, it can take a moment to notice that a limb is missing...

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

7) All of these gaits show a regularly repeating cycle of movement and can be characterised in terms of the sequences of the limbs, timing of the footfalls and the forces exerted on the ground...

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

6) And they gallop at high speed... (using both rotary and transverse sequences)

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

5) They trot at intermediate speeds...

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

4) We know that 4-legged dogs use a range of gaits with increasing speed: They walk at slow speeds...

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

3) While I was working as a postdoc at the Royal Veterinary College, I was supposed to be looking at locomotion on two legs and four legs but got inspired to look at three-legged locomotion when I started sharing an office with a canine amputee...

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

2) While we have a good understanding of the mechanics of movement in 2-legged and 4-legged animals, there are few examples of 3-legged movement in nature. Some primates move on three limbs periodically and parrots can use their beak as a third limb, but arguably these aren’t true tripedalism...

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

1) So, study of animal movement is interesting from a basic science perspective eg. what’s the most economical way to move? Why can’t we run faster?... It’s interesting in terms of understanding musculoskeletal injury and rehab., but it also reaches into engineering and designing legged-robots...

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Now I've got a minute, thought I'd do a little explainer thread of my recent paper on locomotion in canine amputees. Read on for #science #biomechanics #dogscience and most importantly, cute videos! This @royalsociety.org paper can be found here: royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...

royalsocietypublishing.org

Locomotion on three legs: the tripedal gaits of canine amputees

Abstract. The gaits of bipedal and quadrupedal animals are well characterized, while, with few naturally occurring tripedal gaits, little is understood reg

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

New paper out today in @royalsocietypublishing.org #ProcB on the tripedal gaits of canine amputees. It’s been a long time coming with initial covid delays and then 2 new jobs, glad I can finally share it: royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Lovely day yesterday for a drive through the Welsh countryside to speak at @aberuni.bsky.social and have a nosey round their Veterinary Education Centre. Thank you to @sesamoidstreet.bsky.social and @peterkorsten.bsky.social for the invite ☺️

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

As a millennial emo, I quite like spooky season. As an anatomist, I hate it 🤣 #veterinaryanatomy #anatomy #skeleton

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

I have a tab open on “Performing Oral Regional Nerve Blocks for Veterinary Patients” to remind me to add some clinical relevance to my skull anatomy lecture but the tab just appears as “Performing Oral” to anyone glancing over my shoulder, I feel like I’m going to have to justify myself a lot today😂

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Reposted by Dr Zoe Self Davies

Richard Bomphrey @richardbomphrey.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

🚨 Hiring! We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher with expertise in computational fluid dynamics and structural simulations to investigate biomechanics and mechanosensory feedback in insect flight. Extreme agility ✔️ Morphological computing ✔️ Meshes! ✔️ jobs.rvc.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...

media.tenor.com

a close up of a fly 's head with a blurred background .

ALT: a close up of a fly 's head with a blurred background .

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

You know that metaphor about ducks being calm on the surface but then they’re frantically paddling below the water?… turns out the dog is mildly aggrieved on the surface and absolutely not paddling frantically below 😂 #biomechanics #veterinaryphysiotherapy #caninescience #dogs

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

Finally out of office ‘enjoying’ the heat in Greece (41 degrees is a bit much 🥵)

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

#SEBconference goers, have you found the whale and the elephant upstairs?

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

Thank you to the biomechanics session organisers at #SEBconference for supporting my talk on tripedal locomotion in canine amputees 🐕 Extra thank you’s to @sesamoidstreet.bsky.social and Janneke Schwaner for their support ☺️

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

VetEd done ✔️ Poster on extra-curricular anatomy art presented ✔️… next up #SEBconference.

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Had SO MUCH FUN making balloon model equine guts at VedEd this afternoon. My cognitive load is feeling very minimised 🧡🎈

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Great first day at VetEd looking at making models for clinical skills and anatomy, followed by wine on the SS Great Britain featuring @grumpyfrog.bsky.social and @sesamoidstreet.bsky.social 🧡

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

Great time speaking at MMU’s Institute of Sport this week, sharing some insights into athletic performance and rehabilitation in non-human animals. Had such a fantastic time meeting their lovely team and seeing their awesome facilities. Thanks @kajdaniels.bsky.social for the invite ☺️

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

Needed some ‘physio-ing’ pictures to brighten up some slides and didn’t want to use dogs who haven’t given consent… Rogue is cantankerous, expensive and useless in many circumstances but the girl always does good teaching and good slides 👍

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

It’s conference season & marking season so spending a large proportion of my time in front of a screen. Started getting headaches & then weird motion-sickness like nausea almost constantly. Diagnosed myself with all manner of neurological disorders… turns out I’ve hit the age where I need glasses 😆🤓

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

One of my favourite colleagues, teaching dog Maeve, did some exciting cpd today, working towards teaching hydrotherapy as well as veterinary science. 10/10 the goodest girl.

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Excited to have my abstract accepted for #SEBconference in Antwerp… who else is going?

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

I’d say ai nailed it with this one 😂

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

She’s supposed to be teaching auscultation this morning but is doing quite a bit of sleeping on the job 😆🩺😴 #vetschool #clinicalskills

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Not that she resented it or anything 🙈

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Little bit of #veterinaryphysiotherapy and #caninehydrotherapy for Rogue today. Staying in shape as a #vetschool teaching dog 💪

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

I ran an anatomical heart art competition for Valentine’s Day with our vet students &, once again, they did not disappoint! They produced some stunning drawings, poetry, bakes, crochet, cross-stitch, digital art & even a pizza! I’ve shared a few below so you can see how talented they are!

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

Yep, babysitting for a few days ☺️

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

Found a weird bit of fluff under my desk at work. #vetschool

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Dr Zoe Self Davies @drselfy.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

On this Rogue scale of 1-9, how’s your day going?

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