Christopher Powers, PhD, PT
Associate Professor

Email:  powers@usc.edu 

Office:  CHP-155 

Dept. Mailing Address:   1540 Alcazar St., CHP 155
                                            Los Angeles, CA 90089-9006
 

Christopher M. Powers is an Associate Professor in the Division of Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy, and Co-Director of the MBRL at USC. He also has joint appointments in the Departments of Radiology and Orthopaedic Surgery within the Keck School of Medicine.　 His primary teaching responsibilities include the areas of biomechanics and the mechanics of human gait. He received a Bachelors degree in Physical Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1984, his Masters degree in Physical Therapy from Columbia University in 1987, and a Ph.D. in Biokinesiology in 1996 from USC. Dr. Powers did his post-doctoral training at the Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory, University of California, Irvine.

Dr. Powers studies the biomechanical aspects of human movement. More specifically, his research and publications are concerned with the kinematic, kinetic and muscular actions associated with human movement, the pathomechanics of orthopedic disabilities and issues related to rehabilitation of the musculoskeletal system. He has published over 90 peer-reviewed articles and has received several research awards from the American Physical Therapy Association, including the Rose Excellence in Research Award from the Orthopaedic Section, the Eugene Michels New Investigator Award, the Dorothy Briggs Scientific Inquiry Award and the Helen J Hislop Award for contributions to the professional literature.

Dr. Powers is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (Orthopaedic and Research sections), American Society for Biomechanics, American Society for Testing and Measures, and the North American Society for Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis. In addition, Dr. Powers is on several editorial boards including the Journal of Applied Biomechanics, Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, and the Journal of Athletic Training.　 He is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association, serving as President of the Section on Research.

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Orthopaedic Biomechanics (1996-1997), University of California, Irvine, CA
• Ph.D. Biokinesiology (1996). University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
• M.S. Physical Therapy (1987). Columbia University, New York, NY
• B.A. Physical Education (1984). University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA

Selected Publications

• Tsai YJ, Powers CM. The influence of footwear sole hardness on utilized coefficient of friction during walking. Submitted to: Gait & Posture (To be published 10/09).
• Souza RB, Powers CM. Concurrent criterion-related validity and reliability of a clinical test to measure femoral anteversion. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther (In Press).
• Powers CM, Blanchette MG, Brault JR, Flynn J, Siegmund GP. Validation of walkway tribometer: Establishing a reference standard. Submitted to: J Forensic Sci (In Press).
• Tsai LC, Sigward SM, Pollard CD, Fletcher MJ, Powers CM. The effects of fatigue and recovery on knee kinetics and kinematics during side-step cutting. Med Sci Sport Exerc (In Press).
• Souza RB, Powers CM. Predictors of hip rotation during running: An evaluation of hip strength and femoral structure in women with and without patellofemoral pain. Am J Sports Med. 37:579-587, 2009.
• Souza RB, Powers CM. Differences in hip kinematics, muscle strength and muscle activation between subjects with and without patellofemoral pain. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 39:12-19, 2009.
• Sigward SM. Ota S, Powers CM. Predictors of frontal plane knee excursion during a drop landing in young female athletes. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 38:661-667, 2008.
• Brennglass A, Souza RB, Meyer J, Powers CM. Identification of abnormal hip motion associated with acetabular labral pathology: A resident’s case report. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 38:558-565, 2008.
• Farrokhi S, Pollard CD, Souza R, Chen YJ, Reischl S, Powers CM. Trunk position influences lower extremity demands during the forward lunge exercise. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 38:403-409, 2008.
• Tsai YJ, Powers CM. The influence of footwear sole hardness on slip initiation in young adults. J Forensic Sci. 53:884-888, 2008.
• Powers CM, Doubleday KL, Escudero C. The influence of patellofemoral bracing on pain, knee extensor torque and gait function in females with patellofemoral pain. Physiother Theory Pract. 24:1-9, 2008.
• Powers CM, Beneck GJ, Kulig K, Landel RF, Fredericson M. The effects of a single session of posterior to anterior spinal mobilization and press-ups on pain response and lumbar spine extension in persons with nonspecific low back pain. Phys Ther. 88:485-492, 2008.
• Burke WS, Vangsness CT, Powers CM. Quantification of glenohumeral rhythm in persons with and without impingement. Am J Orthop. 37:24-30, 2008.
• Landel RF, Kulig KK, Powers CM. Intertester reliability and validity of motion assessments during lumbar spine accessory motion testing. Phys Ther. 88:43-49, 2008.
• Burnfield JM, Powers CM. The role of center of mass kinematics in predicting utilized coefficient of friction during walking. J Forensic Sci 52:1328-1333, 2007
• Ward SR, Terk MR, Powers CM. Patella alta: Association with patellofemoral alignment and changes in contact area during weight bearing. J Bone & Joint Surg Am. 89:1749-1755, 2007.
• Sigward S, Powers CM. Loading characteristics of female athletes who demonstrate excessive valgus moments at the knee during side-step cutting. Clin Biomech. 22:827-833, 2007.
• Feller JA, Amis AA, Andrish JT, Arendt EA, Erasmus PJ, Powers CM. Surgical biomechanics of the patellofemoral joint. Arthroscopy. 23:542-553, 2007.
• Pollard CD, Sigward S, Powers CM. Gender differences in hip joint kinematics and kinetics during a side-step cutting maneuver. Clin J Sports Med. 17:38-42, 2007.
• Powers CM, Stefanou MA, Tsai YJ, Brault JR, Siegmund GP. Assessment of walkway tribometer readings in evaluating slip resistance: A gait based approach. J Forensic Sci. 52:400-405, 2007.
• Kulig K, Powers CM, Landel R, Chen K, Fredericson M, Guillet M, Butts K. Segmental lumbar mobility in individuals with central low back pain: In-vivo assessment during passive and active motion using dynamic MRI. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 8:1-10, 2007.
• Griffin LY, Albohm MJ, Arendt EA, Bahr R, Beynnon BD, DeMaio M, Dick RW, Engebretsen L, Garrett WE, Hannafin JA, Hewitt TE, Huston LJ, Ireland ML, Johnson RJ, Lephart S, Mandelbaum BR, Mann B, Marks RH, Marshal SW, Myklebust G, Noyes FR, Powers CM, Shields C, Schultz SJ, Silvers H, Slauterbeck J, Taylor D, Teitz CC, Wojtys EM, Yu B. Understanding and preventing noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries. Am J Sports Med. 34:1512-1532, 2006
• Powers CM, Chen YJ, Scher I, Lee TQ. Influence of patellofemoral joint contact geometry on the modeling of three dimensional patellofemoral joint forces. J Biomech. 39:2783-2791, 2006.
• Selkowitz DM, Kulig K, Poppert EM, Flanagan SP, Mathews Nd, Beneck GJ, Popovich JM, Lona JR, Yamada KA, Burke WS, Ervin C, Powers CM. The immediate and long-term effects of exercise and patient education on physical, functional, and quality of life outcome measures after single-level lumbar microdiscectomy: A randomized controlled trial protocol. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 7:1-15, 2006.
• Ota S, Ward SR, Chen YJ, Tsai YJ, Powers CM. Concurrent Criterion-Related validity and reliability of a clinical device used to assess lateral patella displacement. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 36:645-652, 2006.
• Powers CM, Chen YJ, Farrohki S, Lee TQ. The role of peripatellar retinaculum in the transmission of forces within the extensor mechanism. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 88:2042-2048, 2006.
• Burnfield JM, Powers CM. Prediction of slips: An evaluation of utilized coefficient of friction and available slip resistance. Ergonomics. 49:982-995, 2006.
• Pollard CD, Sigward SS, Pelley K, Ota S, Powers CM. The influence of an in-season injury prevention program on lower extremity kinematics during landing in young female soccer players. Clin J Sports Med. 16:223-227, 2006.
• Sigward SM, Powers CM. The influence of experience on knee joint kinematics, kinetics and muscle activation patterns during side-step cutting in young females. Clin Biomech. 21:740-747, 2006.
• Ganley KJ, Powers CM. Intersegmental dynamics during the swing phase of gait: A comparison of knee kinetics between 7 year old children and adults. Gait Posture. 23:499-504, 2006.
• Sigward S, Powers CM. The influence of gender on knee joint kinematics, kinetics and muscle activation patterns during side-step cutting. Clin Biomech. 21:41-48, 2006.