Posture, topography and anthropometry

Santosa Budiharjo
(medical doctor, anatomist, consultant)
Department of Anatomy, FM-PHN UGM

Learning Objective
Understand the basic concept of posture,
topographic anatomy and anthropometry
• A position of a person's body or
body parts,
denote a position of the segmental TERM : POSTURE
body (trunk, arm segments, leg
segments, and head-neck)
• The Latin verb ponere, meaning
"to put" or "to place
such as a standing, sitting,
lying down, squatting,
jumping, throwing,
reaching, pushing, pulling,
walking posture

Synonyms: posture, attitude, carriage, pose, stance

erect posture; an attitude of prayer; dignified carriage; a re
clining pose; an athlete's alert stance.
 Body segments: axial and appendicular segments
appendicular segments: axial segments:
upper & lower extremities head, neck and trunk
Static vs Dynamic posture
TERM: TOPOGRAPHY, TOPOGRAPHIC ANATOMY
• the physical or natural features of
an object or entity and their
structural relationships
• from Greek, from topographein to
describe a place, from topos place
+ graphein to write
• Anatomy topographica
• studying the location of human
parts and internal organs, as well
as their interaction with each
other. The design of organs for the
skin and their location in relation
to the skeleton (skeletopia)
• the study of anatomy based on
regions or divisions of the body
and emphasizing the relations
between various structures
(muscles and nerves and arteries
etc.) in that region
• The topography of internal organs
is engaged in studying the layered
structure of the regions of the
human body, viewing it in different
planes.
Object of topographic Anatomy
Anatomical areas (regional anatomy)
• Head (which is a collection of such mutually functioning organs as the
brain, eyes, receptors of taste and smell, ears, mouth, pharynx);
• Neck (as a part, connecting the head with the body, through which
pass the most important supply routes, such as the esophagus,
larynx, trachea, as well as vessels and arteries);
• Trunk (actually, the body or torso, which contains the largest number
of vital organs of man); thorax and abdomen(pelvis)
• Limbs (membrum) as isolated paired appendages in their interrelation
with other parts of the body).
Eleven Human Body Organ System
Topography of Head-Neck (caput-collum) (sagittal section,
neurocranium & viscerocranium bones, brain, sense organ)
 Topography of Trunk (Thorax, abdomen, pelvis)
Trunk wall, cavity and visceral organs

Visceral organs:
Pulmo, Cor,
Hepar, Lien, Ren,
Ventriculus,
Duodenum,
Jejnum, Ileum,
Appendix
vermiformis,
Colon, Ureter,
Vesica urinaria,
Pancreas.
Topography of Limbs
(membrum,
extremities, muscle,
bone, vessels)
Superficial & profundal structures
 ANTHROPOMETRY
• Anthropometry is the measurement
of man and is often referred to as
the study of body dimensions
• ANTHROPO + METRY; from Greek,
combining form
from ánthrōpos "human being,
person. from Greek, from metrein to
measure
• Anthroposcopy (qualitative of body
observation), Anthropometry
(quantitative of body dimensions)
• The field that deals with the physi
cal dimensions, proportions, and
composition of the human body,
as well as the study of related va
riables that affect them for
scientific purposes
 Static and Dynamic Anthropometry

• Static, i.e., measurements

made while the subjects in a
fixed, standardized position,
• Functional or dynamic, i.e.,
measurements made while the
subjects are in the position
required for a specific task or
while the body is in motion
(e.g., functional arm or leg
lengths).
Disciplines, anthropometry, scope
Disciplines: pediatrics, orthopedics, dentistry, orthodontics, physical
education, general education, human engineering, sports medicine,
public health, and nutrition.

Scope:
What is the purpose of this measurement? What information will this
measurement provide?
to a selection of the measurements needed to obtain an acceptable answer.
to the design of workspace, clothing, furniture, and toys.
Subject comfort, safety, and function are of basic importance, yet a broad
range of normal variability must be accommodated.
For example, seating for elementary school children must be wide enough
and long enough to accommodate larger children in the age group but not
uncomfortable for a small child.
Qualify of the Anthropometrist
• good eyesight for distance and color,
• freedom from halitosis and other unpleasant odors,
• sympathy, perseverance, orderliness, honesty and carefulness.
• should be careful of the sensibilities of the subjects, careful in
technique, careful in reading the scale of the subject, careful in
recording and capable of concentration on his work.
• Noted:. men to be superior to women as anthropometrists,
although women excelled in carefulness and devotion to work,
they lacked the stamina for field work and marriage would
seriously hamper their careers.
 PROTOCOL : rtools, eference point, procedure (appropriate
posture)
• The measurement protocol outlined is
summarized notes, based on Anthropological
view: Comas(1960) and Olivier (1968),
Auxological anthropometry: Cameron (1978),
Ergonomics Perspectives:Pheasant (1978),
Pulat (1986), Bhattacharya & McGlothlin
(1994), Sports and Kinanthropometry
view:Ross & Marfell-Jones (1991), and
Norton (2004)

Body dimensions measurement:

vertical (anthropometer),
horizontal (sliding/spreading caliper),
circumference (tape mater),
mass/weight (weigh scale),
soft tissue (skinfold caliper)
 surface landmarks, reference point,
anthropometric point
• to accuracy of measurement.
• the techniques of palpation and learn some
surface anatomy (Anthropometric points), bony
prominent
• The landmarks of measurements refer to the
anthropometric points.
• The anthropometric points are firstly the name of
parts of bones,
• On living man can be identified from the body
surface, especially on a lean body.
• There are odd or sagittal anthropometric points,
i.e. vertex, and paired or lateral anthropometric
points, i.e. acromiale. For paired anthropometric
points, both are measured, but it is recommended
to use the right measurement in data analysis
 Anthropometric points Proper position measurer, tool, subject
Odd/sagittal point
• Vertex (highest point of head)
• Suprasternale (sternal notch)
• Symphysion (mid sagittal
symphyseal joint of pubic
bone)

Pairs/lateral point
• Acromion (processus acromialis clavicula)
• Radiale (epicondilus lateralis - humerus)
• Stylion (processus styloideus - radius)
• Dactylion (distal part of longest finger- manus)
• Iliocristale (crista iliaca)
• Iliospinale (spina iliaca anterior superior)
• Trochanterion (throchanter major – femur)
• Tibiale (condyles lateralis – Tibia)
• Sphyrion (malleolus lateralis- Fibula)
• Pternion (tuber – Calcaneus)
• Acropodion (longest finger of pedis)
Proper position measurer, tool, subject
Standardize posture vs Dynamic posture
Look straight, eye in Frankfurt line, arms put in side
selection of the
measurements needed
to obtain an acceptable
answer
selection of the measurements needed to obtain an acceptable answer
Further analyze of the anthropometric data