Biomechanics Education

Module

David Gracia
Kristen Kelley
Vinit Prabhu
 Presentation Outline
Definition of Biomechanics
History of Biomechanics
Basic Terms
Lever Classes
Types of Joints
Gait Information
Balance Information
Posture Information
How to use and measure for crutches.
 Biomechanics is

The science concerned with the actions

of forces, internal or external on the
living body.
Historical People and Biomechanics
Aristotle might be
considered the first
biomechanician.
Da Vinci also gained
some insight into
biomechanics. He
analyzed muscle forces as
acting along lines
connecting origins and
insertions and studied
joint function.
Galileo because he also
made important
contributions to
biomechanics. He was
particularly aware of the
mechanical aspects of
bone structure and the
basic principles of
allometry.
 Some Basic Information

Coronal Plane Frontal

Sagittal Plane Lateral

Axial Plane Transverse

Anatomical Directional Terminology
Anterior: In front of, front. Inferior: Below, under.

Posterior: After, behind, Superior: Above, over.

following, toward the rear.
Lateral: Toward the side, away
Distal: Away from, father from from the midline.
the original.
Medial: Toward the midline,
Proximal: Near, closer to the middle, away from the side.
origin.
Rostral: Toward the front.
Dorsal: Near the upper surface,
towards the back.
Caudal: Toward the back,
toward the tail.
Ventral: Toward the bottom,
towards the belly.
Three Lever Classes
Lever Classes in the Body
 Types of Joints
Fibrous
Fibrous joints connect bones without allowing any movement. The
bones of your skull and pelvis are held together by fibrous joints.
The union of the spinous processes and vertebrae are fibrous joints.

Cartilaginous
Cartilaginous joints are joints in which the bones are attached by
cartilage. These joints allow for only a little movement, such as in
the spine or ribs.

Synovial
Synovial joints allow for much more movement than cartilaginous
joints. Cavities between bones in synovial joints are filled with
synovial fluid. This fluid helps lubricate and protect the bones. Bursa
sacks contain the synovial fluid.
 Joints

Hinge
A hinge joint allows extension and
retraction of an appendage.

Saddle
A saddle joint allows movement back
and forth and up and down, bot does
not allow for rotation like a ball and
socket joint.
 Joints

Ball and Socket

A ball and socket joint allows for radial
movement in almost any direction.
They are found in the hips and
shoulders.

Pivot
Pivot joints allow rotation around an
axis. The neck and forearms have
pivot joints. In the neck the occipital
bone spins over the top of the axis. In
the forearms the radius and ulna twist
around each other.
 Gait
The phases of Pain, Paralysis and
normal gait. Tissue Damage
cause abnormal
Gait.
Abnormal Gait
Ataxic: unsteady
Antalgic: limp
Apraxic: loss of
ability
 What is Gait Analysis?
Gait analysis is the study of walking. More specifically it
is detailed observation of the movements of the arms
and legs and the actions of the muscles when someone
walks.

Normal gait requires the correct functioning of the

musculoskeletal system and nervous system.

The basic divisions of the gait cycle are stance and

swing.

Stance is when the foot is on the ground.

Swing begins when the foots is lifted from the floor until
the heel is placed down.
 Balance is
the ability to maintain equilibrium and orientation in a
gravitational environment.

The behavior that we call balance results from an interaction of

many systems and subsystems. In dynamical systems terms,
balance is a collective variable, a measure of the way a system
or organism reduces a huge number of potential postural
responses to a finite set of possibilities.
 Standing Bio-Mechanics
To understand and assess balance, it
is important to become familiar with
some basic bio-mechanical
terminology.
First, like any other object, the body
has a centre of gravity (CG) or
center of mass (COM), which acts
vertically downwards (towards the
centre of the earth). In order for an
object to remain stable this line from
the CG to the ground must fall within
the base of support. For the body,
this base of support is composed of
the two feet and the area between
them.
 Balance Continued
Postural reflexes are
continually used to Somatosensory
System
maintain stability. The
three main sensory
systems contribute inputs
to these reflexes:

visual
vestibular
somatosensory
 Posture
Posture
"the position or bearing of the body"
refers to the overall alignment of the various body parts to each other
when the person is standing in a relaxed stance.

Posture is the result of many underlying processes and tensional

relationships throughout the body.

As such posture becomes a measure of the overall balances in

the body and can be used as a tool to assess if interventions have
resulted in a change in overall body balance.

The ideal posture is assumed to be when the earlobe, tip of the

shoulder, hip joint and outside bump of the ankle all lined up on a
plumb line.
Optimal Posture vs. Faulty
Posture
Optimal posture
State of muscular and skeletal
balance that protects the
supporting structures of the
body against injury or
progressive deformity
Involves the positioning of the
joints to provide minimum
stress on the joints of the
body.
Faulty Posture
Increases stress on the joints.
 Posture

Bad Posture Good Posture

 Causes of Poor posture
Structural Causes
Permanent anatomical deformities not amenable to correction by
conservative treatments

Positional Causes
Poor postural habit--for whatever reason, the individual does not
maintain a correct posture
Psychological factors, especially self-esteem.
Respiratory conditions
General weakness
Loss of the ability to perceive the position of your body
 Tests for Postural Faults

The Mirror Test- (Anterior View)

Stand facing as full length mirror and check to see if:

your shoulders are level

your head is straight; no chin deviation; ears are level
the spaces between your arms and sides are equally spaced
your iliac crests and hips are level
kneecaps face straight ahead
a 5 foot flare is shown
arches are not flat
no evidence of scrunching of the toes
 Orthotics and Posture
Orthotic devices are employed to correct
and support posture.
An orthosis is an external appliance worn
to restrict or assist motion or to transfer
the load from one area to another.
Adjustments allow all joints to function
under a proportionate weight distribution.
 Crutches

Auxillary Crutches:
For temporary use (ex. injury).

Forearm Crutches:
For long term use (ex. disability).
 Fitting Crutches
The height should be 2 below the
patients armpit.
Nerve damage can be caused if the
crutches extend all the way.
Crutches must be rest against the ribs just
below the armpit.
 Walking With Crutches
Start by placing both crutches in front of you.
Next step forward with the affected leg. The
foot should line up with the crutches.
Next step forward with the unaffected leg.
Repeat.
If both legs are affected the crutches can be
used as canes. Move the opposite leg and
opposite arm at the same time.
Questions?