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Biomechanics of Human Movement

Introduction to the
Biomechanics of
Human Movement
Lecture 1a

Kinesiology and Health Science

HH/AS/SC KINE 3030 3.0

Today’s Objectives
o Course Administration
o Describe the typical scientific inquiry
addressed by biomechanists
o Define biomechanics, statics, dynamics,
kinematics and kinetics and explain the
ways in which they are related
o Distinguish between qualitative and
quantitative approaches for analyzing
human movement.

KINE 3030 Winter 2019

Instructor
 Dr. A. Moore
Course Director

Course website/email:
https://moodle.yorku.ca/

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. Biomechanics of Human Movement

Pre-Requisites
 Human Anatomy (KINE 2031 3.0)

EVALUATION
 Midterm Exam #1 (Friday February 8, 2019) 20%

 Midterm Exam # 2 (Friday March 15, 2019) 20%

 Laboratories (7 of 9 to be submitted, 6@2%, 1@3%) 15%

 Final Exam (3 hours during final exam session) 45%

If you miss a midterm…..

 If ANY midterm is missed, medical documentation
(York U. Attending Physician’s Statement – link in
syllabus) MUST be provided to the course director.
 If medical documentation is not provided, the student
will receive a mark of 0 for that midterm exam.
 If medical documentation is provided, the percentage
allocated to the missed midterm exam will be added
to the final exam.

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. Biomechanics of Human Movement

If you are thinking of missing…

 A Midterm:
66
65
64
Average 63
Final Exam
(%) 62
61
60
59
1 and 2 1 2 None
Midterms Written

Course Materials/Resources:
 Lectures/Tutorials
 Laboratories
 Text
 Website

All materials are examinable

All tests/exams are cumulative

Lectures
 Three lectures a week:
 Typically Monday and Wednesday lecture
format and Friday Tutorial format (see course
outline for specific tutorial days, after 2nd
midterm Tutorial day typically Wednesday)
 Powerpoint available on Moodle

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. Biomechanics of Human Movement

If you are thinking of missing….

 Lectures:
 Past experience when lecture only available on-line:
  Drop out rate at last minute

  Grades

 Reasons:
 Don’t schedule a weekly time to review the lecture, do the
reading and work on the problems
 Don’t review lecture in the absence of distractions

 Therefore, the lectures will only be available online for

2 weeks following the class. You must view them
before then if you want to keep up!

Laboratory
 Analysis of previously collected digital video data
to study a different biomechanical concept each
week:
 Use custom software to perform different
biomechanical analyses
 CB 162 available during your scheduled lab time

 Questions found in your laboratory manual which

apply the principles
 Hand in both printouts AND answers to questions.

 Some labs will include a measurement component

If you are thinking of missing…

 Labs to be handed in: That is a 15% hit
up front (i.e. A+ is out and it could even
take you down 3 grades - e.g. from a B+ to
a C)
 Labs not to be handed in: I have been
known to specifically put questions from
those labs on the tests. Also it is the
perfect opportunity to ask questions of the
TA’s

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. Biomechanics of Human Movement

Written Resources
 Text:
 Hall, S. Basic Biomechanics, 8th Edition
 Moodle:
 PPT slides
 LaboratoryManual
 Course Outline
 Review Materials
 Recorded Lectures (2 WEEKS ONLY)

Human Resources
 TA’s available to help with laboratory and
lecture material during scheduled
laboratories
 Tutorial sessions with Dr. Moore
 Questions will be accepted by email!!!!!
 Moodle email/discussions

Course Objectives
 Understand that all human movement (normal
gait, pathological gait, sport, dance,
occupational tasks etc.) takes place in a
framework of known mechanical principles
interacting with human anatomy and muscle
physiology.
 Create a basic and valid framework of the
mechanics of human motion on which students
can build.
 Provide examples of these principles as applied
to different aspects of human movement (health,
sport, work etc.).

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. Biomechanics of Human Movement

Some of the main things

expected of you at the end….
 How (direction, location and magnitude) external
and internal forces act on the human body (e.g.
gravity, friction, muscle) and the impact they
have on human movement
 Understand what is the definition of agonist
muscle and which muscle group is the agonist in
slow movements of any joint given the other
forces acting on a body segment
 What makes a body stable
 How a body moves through air (projectile motion
and angular momentum)

Chapter 1:
What is
Biomechanics?
Lecture 1b

Kinesiology and Health Science

HH KINE 3030 3.0

Biomechanics and Kinesiology

Historical Development
- From Kinesiology to Biomechanics

1. Kinesiology is that part of the

physiology of motion which describes
and analyzes locomotor events so far
as they reflect the action of mechanical
forces. (Steindler)

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. Biomechanics of Human Movement

Biomechanics and Kinesiology

2. Kinesiology, as it is known in
Physical Education, orthopedics and
physical medicine is the study of
human movement from the point of
view of the physical sciences. (Wells)
3. Kinesiology, broadly defined is the
study of the science of movement, its
anatomical, physiological, mechanical,
psychological and sociological aspects.
(Broer)

Hall
1-2

Biomechanics and Kinesiology

4. Biomechanics. The science involving
the study of biological systems from a
mechanical perspective. Biomechanics
uses the tools of mechanics, the branch of
physics involving the analysis of the action
of force, to study the anatomical and
functional aspects of living organisms.
( Hall)

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. Biomechanics of Human Movement

Biomechanics
 The study of the effects and control of
forces that act on and are produced by
living bodies.
 (Norman, U. Waterloo)

Why Study Biomechanics?

 To address problems related to human health
and performance.
 Who needs biomechanics?
 Researchers
 Ergonomists
 Phys Ed Teachers
 Physical Therapists
 Physicians
 Coaches
 Personal Trainers/Exercise Instructors

Problems Studied
 Locomotion patterns
 Mobility Impairment
 NASA, microgravity and musculoskeletal
system.
 Osteoporosis

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. Biomechanics of Human Movement

Problems Continued…
 Clinical Research
 Occupational Research
 Sport Performance Enhancement
 Safety and Injury Reduction

BIO MECHANICS

 Anatomy
Physiology
+ Physics

-bone -motion
-muscle (angular, linear)
-ligaments -displacement
-joints -velocity
-acceleration
-force
-impulse
Musculoskeletal -momentum
System -work
-power

Sub-Fields

Mechanics

Statics Dynamics

Kinematics Kinetics

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. Biomechanics of Human Movement

Mechanics
Physical science which deals with the state
of rest or motion of bodies under the
action of forces.

Mechanics
Statics
Concerns the equilibrium of bodies
under the action of forces.
Dynamics
Concerns the accelerated motion of
bodies.

Dynamics

Symbol Σ F = m a
Meaning
“sum of”
Forces that Resistance Motion
Cause motion To motion
(Kinetics) (inertia) (Kinematics)

-External Forces -Anthropometry -whole body

-Internal Forces -mass -segments
-Muscle -distribution -joints
-Tissue properties
-Joint anatomy
-Neural control

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. Biomechanics of Human Movement

Dynamics
Kinematics
Study of the motion of bodies without
reference to forces that cause the
motion.

Kinetics
Relates the forces acting on bodies to
the resulting motion.

3 General Areas of Study

1. Describing movement and determining
how it is produced
2. Assessing how tissues are injured/how
injuries can be prevented.
3. Determining how performance can be
optimized

Describing movement and

determining how it is produced
Examples
 Human gait
 Sport performance
 Robotics
 Functional Anatomy

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Assessing how tissues are injured

and how injuries can be prevented
 Tissue loading
* Muscle & Joint Biomechanics *
 Osteoarthritis
 Prosthetic implants
* Clinical Biomechanics *
 Protective equipment
 Occupational injuries
* Occupational Biomechanics *
 Forensic Biomechanics

* Courses available in our program

Determining how performance can

be optimized
 Examples:
 sport performance & training
 occupational production
 therapy
 F.E.S.
 tendon transfer
 prosthetics and orthotics

Human movement analysis can be

approached from both a qualitative
and quantitative perspective.

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. Biomechanics of Human Movement

Qualitative Biomechanical
Analysis
1.General description of movement
patterns. (Use descriptive words
with optional “generalized”
graphs and/or figures.)
2. Identify mechanical principles in
movement performance.
3. Hypothesizing techniques for
improved performance base on
#1 and #2.

Quantitative Biomechanical
Analysis
1. Measured Description of Skill Execution.
2. Development of an idealized model:
a) Statistical Model based on mechanical
analysis
b) Predictive mathematical model
3. Predictive simulation for hypothetical
conditions.
“What will happen if…?”

Example Questions
 Is the movement being performed through
an appropriate range of motion?
 Is there excessive pronation taking place
during the stance phase of gait?
 How much pronation is normal during the
stance phase?
 Exactly when during the stance phase is there
excessive pronation?
 How much pronation is “excessive”?

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