Introduction to

Biomechanics
By:
Tewodros Belay Alemneh (MSc)
Year III, Sem. II
Course code: 3122

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What is biomechanics?

Application of mechanical
principles in the study of living
organisms.

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Other definitions
• The mechanical bases of biological
systems.
• The application of mechanical laws to living
structures.
• The study of the structure and function of
biological systems by means of the methods
of mechanics.
• The science concerned with the internal and
external forces acting on the human body
and the effects produced by these forces.
• The study of motion and its causes in living
things

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Biomechanics
 Mechanics: study of physical actions of forces.
 The internal forces: produced by muscles.
 The external forces: that act on the body.

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 Biomechanics
 Mechanics is divided into:
• Statics
• Dynamics
 Statics: Study of systems that are in a constant state of motion, (at rest
with no motion or at a constant velocity without acceleration).
• Statics involves all forces acting on the body being in balance resulting in the body
being in equilibrium.

 Dynamics: Study of systems in motion with acceleration.

• A system in acceleration is unbalanced due to unequal forces

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Biomechanics

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Biomechanics
 Kinematics & kinetics
• Kinematics: Description of motion and includes consideration of
time, displacement, velocity, acceleration, and space factors of a
system‘s motion.

• Kinetics: Study of forces associated with the motion of a body

 Kinesiology: study of human movement

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Human Body facts
• Human bone is 5 times stronger than steel by weight. Yet it is flexible,
self-healing, and it provides many useful functions in addition to
structural support.
• Tendons are up to 500 times stronger than the skeletal muscles they
connect to the bones. They protect their muscles from ripping.
• Cardiac muscles work autonomously and rest only in between beats.
They pump an average of 3,027,456,000 times during an 80-year
lifespan, assuming 72 bpm. The heart provides life-giving oxygen and
fuel to all cells, none of which are more than a few microns from a blood
vessel.

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Human Body facts
 Synovial fluid in our joints has very low friction. Engineers are
trying to duplicate it synthetically for lubricating machines.

 The human body is the most amazing, complex, interconnected,

efficient machine ever devised by (choose one) .
a. Evolution
b. The Creator
c. Intelligent Design
d. Random Happenstance

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10
Body Planes

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 Body Planes
The sagittal plane (lateral or Y-Z plane):
o divides the body into sinister and dexter (left and
right) sides.
The coronal plane (frontal or Y-X plane):
o divides the body into dorsal and ventral (back and
front) portions. It also separates the anterior and
posterior portions
The transverse plane (axial or X-Z plane):
o divides the body into superior and inferior (head
and tail) portions. It is typically a horizontal plane
through the center of the body and is parallel to the
ground.
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Directional Terms

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 Definitions
 Distal -farther from trunk / Proximal -closer to trunk
 Lateral -away from midline / Medial -closer to midline
 Anterior -front side in / Posterior -back side in
anatomical position (ventral) anatomical position (dorsal)

 Superior -closer to head / Inferior -farther from head

(cranial) (caudal)
 Superficial -closer to / Deep -farther from surface
surface
 Plantar -bottom of foot / Dorsal -top of foot

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Anatomical position Fundamental position

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 Anatomical Reference Position
 Erect standing position
 Feet slightly separated
and pointed forward
 Arms hanging relaxed at the sides
 Palms of hands facing forward

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Motion of Objects
 Linear motion (Translation): motion in which a straight line drawn
between 2 or more points on the body maintain the same direction
during the movement (show the same trajectory (motion along a line))

 All points along the line will move along the parallel paths.

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Motion of Objects
 Straight paths rectilinear motion

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Motion of Objects
 Curved paths curvilinear motion

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Motion of Objects
• Angular motion (Rotation):rotation around a fixed axis has all points
on a rigid segment moving in parallel planes along circular paths about
the axis.

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Motion of Objects
 General Motion: combination of linear motion + angular motion

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 JOINT MOVEMENT TERMINOLOGY
• When the human body is in anatomical reference position, all body
segments are considered to be positioned at zero degrees.
• Body/joint movement is measured as the angle between the body
segment’s position and anatomical position.

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 JOINT MOVEMENT TERMINOLOGY
• Sagittal Plane Movements: (Flexion, Extension, Hyperextension)

• Flexion decreases the angle

between articulating bones
• Extension increases the angle
between articulating bones
• Extension beyond anatomical
position is hyperextension
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 JOINT MOVEMENT TERMINOLOGY
• Frontal Plane Movements: (Abduction, Adduction)

• Abduction is movement away

from the midline
• Adduction is movement toward
the midline

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 JOINT MOVEMENT TERMINOLOGY
• Transverse Plane Movements:

Body movements in the transverse plane are rotational movements

about a longitudinal axis.
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JOINT MOVEMENT TERMINOLOGY
Special Movements

• Circumduction is movement of the

distal end of a body part in a circle
• Rotation rotates a bone around its own
longitudinal axis
• Inversion and Eversion are movements
of the soles medially or laterally
• Dorsiflexion is standing on your heels
• Plantar flexion is standing on your toes
• Supination and pronation move the 26
palm anteriorly or posteriorly
 Introduction to Levers
• A lever system: is a rigid bar that moves on a fixed point called the
fulcrum when a force is applied to it.
• Movement is made possible in the human body by lever systems.
• An understanding of the levers in the body helps us to understand how
movement is possible.
 Lever: Simple machine that operates according to principle of torques
 Torque:
The turning effect of a force
T = Fd

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Components of a Lever System
• Lever: Rigid bar
• Fulcrum: Axis of rotation/fixed point
• Force:
• Applied force (F), effort
• Resistance force (R), load
• Moment arm: d
• Applied force
• Resistance

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More Concepts

How can you change torque?

1. Change F
2. Change d
3. Change direction of F
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 Function of Levers
 Two functions:
1. Force
2. Speed/ROM

Mechanical advantage
• Levers designed for force
• Small effort moves big resistance
 Mechanical disadvantage
• Levers designed for speed/ROM
• Big movement required to move
resistance a small distance
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 Function of Levers
Force
• Examples?
Common traits?
• Rigid bar
• Fixed point
• Lever movement vs. resistance movement

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 Function of Levers
 Speed/ROM
• Examples?
 Common traits?
• Rigid bar
• Fixed point
• Lever movement vs. resistance
movement

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 Human Application?
 Lever:
Bones (Not always a bar)
 Fulcrum:
Joints
 Applied force:
Muscles
 Resistance force:
Weight of limb, external resistance

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 Classification of Levers
 Lever classification based on the relative location of:
1. Axis of rotation/fulcrum (A)
2. Resistance force (R)
3. Applied force (F)

ARF

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 First Class Lever
• Center: (A) –Axis of rotation/fulcrum
• Mechanical advantage
• Mechanical disadvantage
• Examples
Crow bar
Seesaw

RAF/RPE
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Advantage or disadvantage?

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 Second Class Lever
• Center: (R) –Resistance force
• Mechanical advantage
• Always
• Mechanical disadvantage
• Never
• Examples
Wheelbarrow
Nutcracker

ARF/PRE
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Advantage or disadvantage?
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 Third Class Lever
• Center: (F) –Applied force
• Mechanical advantage
• Never
• Mechanical disadvantage
• Always
• Examples
Rowing AFR/PER
Shovelling
Bat, tennis racket

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Advantage or disadvantage?
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3rd class lever Anatomical example

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Human Application

First class lever

•Elbow extension against a
resistance

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 Human Application

• Second class lever

• Ankle plantar flexion

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 Human Application
• Third class lever
• Elbow flexion

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Class 1 Levers

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Class 2 Levers

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Class 3 Levers

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Examples

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Examples

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Examples

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Examples

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THE END

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