KNR 352:

Quantitative Analysis
in Biomechanics
Dr. Steve McCaw
227B
438-3804
www.cast.ilstu.edu/mccaw
 Topics
• Basic Operations required
• Dealing with vectors
• Review from 282 (Basic Biomechanics)
• Kinematics
• Calculations of basic quantities
• Displacement, velocity, acceleration
• Kinetics
• Calculations
• GRF, CofP, JMF
• Energetics
• Calculations
• Power, Work
 Task Factors

• Basic Skill
• Complex Task
• Throw
• Assembly Task
• Curl up
• Hitting a baseball
• What joint actions are occurring?
• What muscles are active?
• What are the risks?
 Environmental Factors

• Weather/field/floor conditions
• Friction====>stability, tissue loads
 Environmental Factors

• Weather/field/floor conditions
• Gravity
• space travel & platforms
 Environmental Factors

• Weather/field/floor conditions
• Gravity
• Open/closed task
• dynamic vs. static environment
 Environmental Factors

• Weather/field/floor conditions
• Gravity
• Open/closed task
• Rules on the game/of the job
• # of players
• field dimensions
• workplace layout
• temporal constraints
 Individual Factors

• Cognitive ability
 Individual Factors

• Cognitive ability
• Anthropometrics
• Psychological state
• Fitness & Health
• Skill level
 Performance
Injury

TASK
Individual Environment

Modulated by force: described by mechanics

 Mechanics
influence of force on bodies

• Biomechanics: force on biological

organisms
• biomechanics of fluids
• circulation (lung, blood, artery)
 Mechanics
influence of force on bodies

• Biomechanics: force on biological

organisms
• biomechanics of fluids
• biomechanics of deformable solids
• bones, ligaments, tendons
 Mechanics
influence of force on bodies

• Biomechanics: force on biological

organisms
• biomechanics of fluids
• biomechanics of deformable solids
• biomechanics of rigid bodies
• body as “rigid links” at “frictionless hinges”
 Rigid
Bodies

Statics Dynamics
No accle ratio n Present Accele ratio n Present

Kinematics Kinetics
motio n patterns / motio n descrip tio ns study of forces causin g motio n
 Mechanics

• Kinematics • Kinetics
• description of • study of forces that
pattern of motion cause motion
• how far
• magnitude
• how fast
• direction
• how consistent
• line of action
• temporal aspects
• point of application
• durations
• sequencing
F=ma
Force CAUSES acceleration
Force CAUSES injury
 Fundamental Concepts for
Biomechanical Analysis
• Units of Measure: ISU (International
system of Units, ie the Metric System)
• Base Units
• length: meter (m)
• mass: gram (g)
• time: second (s)
 Motion

• Change in position of a body with

respect to time
• quantify POSITION
• location in 3D space: P
• three reference axes: X, Y, Z
o
• Cartesian system: axes at 90 (orthogonal)
• length along each axis: x, y, z
 Motion

• Change in position of a body with

respect to time
• quantify POSITION
• quantify TIME
Linear Motion: translation
rectilinear: straight line
curvilnear: curved line (parabolic)
 Motion

• Change in position of a body with

respect to time
• quantify POSITION
• quantify TIME

Linear Motion General motion

Angular Motion
 Mass

• Quantifies linear inertia

• resistance of a body to a change in linear
motion
• Anthropometry
• measure of body dimensions
• ht, wt, girth, segment length, density
• Body Segment Parameters
• mass, center of mass (gravity), radius of gyration
 Time

• Sequence of events in the universe

• event: particular instant in time
• Chronometer
• watch, interval timer (video frames)
• Temporal analysis
• sequencing, duration of events
 Force

• Push or pull exerted by one body on another

body that causes or tends to cause a change
in motion of each body
 Motion

• Position: location in space

• Displacement (distance)
• change of position
• Velocity (speed)
• change of position with respect to time
• This is motion
• Acceleration
• change of velocity = change of motion
 Force

• Push or pull exerted by one body on another

body that causes or tends to cause a change
in motion of each body
• a derived unit in mechanics
• body: mass
• change in motion: acceleration
• new location in space and time

1 newton = 1 N = 1 kg • m / s / s
 Frames of Reference

• Cardinal, relative or anatomical frame

• Planes and axes
• Center of gravity (center of mass)
• balance point of a body
• Mass particles on one side = mass particles on other side
• point moves as if all forces acting on a body act at
this point alone
• Human body: close to navel (but not fixed)
 Frames of Reference

• Newtonian or Absolute Frame of Reference

• origin is a point fixed in space relative to the earth
• defined with X, Y and Z axes
• Right handed axis: as in geometry
• + and - directions for linear motion
• right hand rule for rotations
• point fingers in direction of rotation
• how is thumb orientated relative to the reference axis?
 Scalars and Vectors

• Scalar quantity • Vector quantity

• described by • requires description of
magnitude and
magnitude alone
direction
• mass • force
• volume • momentum
• distance • impulse
• • displacement
speed
• velocity
• acceleration
 Parallelogram Law for
Addition of Vectors
• Sum of two vectors (resultant, R) equals the
diagonal of the parallelogram with sides
equal to the two vectors.
• Draw on board, tail to tail
• Triangle Rule: tip to tail
• commutative: R = A + B = B + A
• Polygon Rule: extends to 3 or more vectors
 Basic Trigonometry

• Right angle Triangle

• naming conventions
• Pythagorean Theorem
• Trig functions
• Sine, Cosine, Tangent (slope)
• Inverse Tangent
 Coordinate Systems
• Rectangular or Cartesian Coordinate System
• P = Px + Py
• Polar coordinate system
• P = r and theta

• Polar to rectangular
• (use SOH and CAH)
• Rectangular to Polar
• use Pythagorean Thereom and arctan
 Adding Force (vectors) by
Summing Components
• Force: magnitude & direction need to be
calculated
 Adding Force (vectors) by
Summing Components
• Force 1 = 50 N at -45 degrees
• Force 2 = 30 N at 90 degrees
• Force 3 = 75 N at 28 degrees