Background
Dr. Erin Potma received her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University. She is a registered professional engineer with academic and research experience comprising multiple aspects of biomechanical and biomedical engineering, including advanced mechanics, tissue mechanics, joint biomechanics, medical imaging and computing, human factors and ergonomics, medical device development, and applications of 3D printing in medicine.
Dr. Potma’s primary areas of forensic consulting expertise include biomechanical injury assessment, collision reconstruction, and mechanical and medical device failure assessments. She provides biomechanical analyses regarding occupant kinematics, restraint use, head injury, helmet usage, fitness and sporting incidents, playground incidents, and other incidents leading to human injury. She also conducts slip, trip, and fall investigations comprising both gait and movement analysis, as well as building and staircase assessments. Dr. Potma has reconstructed collisions involving low- and high-speed impacts, rollovers, pedestrians and cyclists, motorcycles, snowmobiles, tractor-trailers, and other types of accidents. She has also analyzed mechanical failures and malfunctions, including those involving medical devices and hospital equipment.
She has training in medicine and surgery, as well as an extensive publication record and collaborative research experience in the field of orthopedics. She has performed biomechanical analyses on human subjects, animal models, and tissue specimens during both live and cadaveric testing with biomedical instrumentation, and has characterized these results using both mathematical and computational models.
Education and Certifications
- Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D.: Queen’s University, Canada (2013)
- Comprehensive major: tissue mechanics; minors: dynamics and solid mechanics
- Graduate courses: tissue engineering, medical informatics, computer assisted surgery, biomechanics of human joints, and spatial transformations
- Thesis: “Developing and Evaluating Computer-Assisted Surgical Techniques for Percutaneous Scaphoid Fixation using Additive Manufacturing Technology”
- Mechanical Engineering, M.Sc. (Eng.): Queen’s University, Canada (2005)
- Graduate courses: biological signal analysis, medical physics, and tissue mechanics
- Thesis: “A Virtual-Joint Model for Computer-Assisted Preoperative Planning of Osteotomy”
- Mechanical Engineering, First Class, B.Sc. (Eng.): Queen’s University in Canada (2003)
- Electives in biomechanics and mechatronics; additional courses in biology, organic chemistry, and psychology
- Thesis: “A Basket Gate Synchronization System for Cargo Vessels”
- Completed two years of M.B.B.S. program: Flinders University School of Medicine (2007-2008)
- Electives in anatomy, microbiology, and rural health
- Registered Professional Engineer: Professional Engineers Ontario
- Registered Professional Engineer: Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia
- Certified Accident Reconstructionist: Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction
- Certified Playground Inspector: Canadian Parks and Recreation Association
Publications
- Refereed Journal Articles
- “Investigating the performance of a wrist stabilization device for image-guided percutaneous scaphoid fixation” Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, 2014
- “Computer-assisted percutaneous scaphoid fixation: concepts and evolution” Journal of Wrist Surgery, 2013
- “Using additive manufacturing in accuracy evaluation of reconstructions from computed tomography. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers” Journal of Engineering in Medicine, 2013
- “Volume rendering of 3D fluoroscopic images for percutaneous scaphoid fixation: An in vitro study. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers” Journal of Engineering in Medicine, 2013
- “Analyzing Shoulder Translation with Navigation Technology” Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, 2012
- “Volume-Slicing of Cone Beam Computed Tomography Images for Navigation of Percutaneous Scaphoid Fixation” Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, 2012
- “Computer assisted LISS plate placement: an in-vitro study” Computer-Aided Surgery, 2009
- Refereed Conference Papers
- “A Practical Tool for Ambient Illumination Comparisons at Dusk/Dawn” In Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting/SAGE Publications, 2016
- “Practical Method for Forensic Testing of Fall Impact Effects on the Human Spine” Human Factors and Ergonomics Conference, 2013
- “On the use of laser scans to validate reverse engineering of bony anatomy” Stud Health Technol Inform, 2011
- “Calibration and use of intraoperative cone-beam computed tomography: An in vitro study for wrist fracture” Proc Med Image Comput Assist Interv., 2010
- “Kinematic geometry of osteotomies” Med Image Comput Assist Interv., 2005
- Refereed Conference Abstracts
- “Computer Assistance for Internal Fixation of Scaphoid Fractures” Canadian Military and Veteran Health Research Forum, 2012
- “Surgical navigation can detect aspherical hip motion” In Intl Comput Assist Radiol Surg, 2012
- “A wrist stabilization device for internal fixation of scaphoid fractures” Int J. Comput Assist Radiol Surg, 2012
- “Analyzing shoulder translation with navigation technology” Intl Comput Assist Radiol Surg, 2012
- “Use of intraoperative 3D volume visualization for navigated bone tumor resection” In Proc Comput Assist Orthop Surg, 2012
- “Could posterior capsule tightness be a contributor to anterior shoulder instability?” In Can Orthop Assoc, 2012
- “Navigation of guidewire placement using volume slicing of 3D cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images for percutaneous scaphoid fixation” In Can Orthop Assoc, 2012
- “Volume-slicing of cone beam computed tomography images for navigation of percutaneous scaphoid fixation” Intl Comput Assist Radiol Surg, 2011
- “Quantitative analysis of 3-dimensional rendering of human hip joints” Intl Comput Assist Radiol Surg, 2011
- “Comparison of 3D volume rendering to volumetric slicing of cone-beam computed tomography for navigation of percutaneous scaphoid fixation” In Proc Comput Assist Orthop Surg, 2011
- “Investigating the contribution of soft tissues to impingements at the hip joint: A preliminary study” In Proc Comput Assist Orthop Surg, 2011
- “3D accuracy of rendering hip joints for patient-specific templates” In Proc Comput Assist Orthop Surg, 2011
- “Can rapid prototyping accurately represent the 3D shape of the hip?” In Proc Orthop Res Soc, Paper, 2011
- “Percutaneous scaphoid fixation using computer-assisted navigation with intraoperatively-acquired images” In Can Orthop Assoc, Paper, 2011
- “Reverse Engineering of Bony Anatomy from CT Images” Medicine Meets Virtual Reality, 2010
- “Accuracy and precision of directly navigated scaphoid pinning and conventional percutaneous pinning” In Proc Comput Assist Orthop Surg, 2010
- “Accuracy and precision of percutaneous scaphoid fixation using 3D volumetric navigation” In Proc Am Soc Surg Hand, 2010
- “Computer-assisted LISS plate placement: An in vitro study” In Proc Comput Assist Orthop Surg, 2006
- “Computer-assisted oblique osteotomy planning” In Proc Orthop Res Soc, Paper, 2006
- Other Publications
- “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Having Your Hand Run Over” Forensic Progression Group Newsletter, 2016
- “The Changing World of Collision Fraud Investigation” WP Magazine, 2016
- Invited Lectures
- “Human Factors and Ergonomics in Forensics” University of Toronto, 2013-2015; Ryerson University, 2015
- “Forensic Biomechanics” University of Toronto, 2014-2015
- “Musculoskeletal Disorders in Human-Centered Systems and Forensics” University of Toronto, 2013-2015