AM5010 BIOMECHANICS

ASSIGNMENT-1

1. What are the various anatomical positions of human body?

2. What are the various planes that can be used to divide body and their corresponding axis that
passes through these sections?
3. What are the sagittal plane movements? Explain each of them briefly.
4. What are the frontal plane movements? Explain each of them briefly.
5. What are the axial plane movements? Explain each of them briefly.
6. What is meant by anthropometry? How these body parameters measured? Explain all methods
briefly.
7. How center of mass can be measured? How is body segment mass measured? What is called
method of reaction change?
8. What is meant by statics, a branch of biomechanics?
9. What is meant by mechanical advantage? Explain the same with a door and its handle? Why is
the handle placed far from the door hinge?
10. What are the various types of machines found in our body? What is meant by lever? What are
the various types of levers? Explain each of them with a example from the human system.
11. Consider three parallel forces acting vertically downward whose magnitudes from left to right
are 32, 12 and 24 lb. The distance between the 32 and 12 lb. forces is 12 in., and the distance
between the 12 and 24 lb. forces is 7 in. Find the resultant of the three forces - the single force
which would have the same effect as all three and the location of the same.
12. The device is used for surgical replacement of the knee joint. If the force acting along the leg is
360 N, determine its components along the x ` and y axes.

13. The contact point between the femur and tibia bones of the leg is at A. If a vertical force of 175
lb is applied at this point, determine the components along the x and y axes. Note that the y
component represents the normal force on the load-bearing region of the bones. Both the x and y
components of this force cause synovial fluid to be squeezed out of the bearing space.
14. Patient A weighs 175 lb. The center of gravity of his thigh lies 8.5 in. above the knee joint, and
that of the leg and foot 8 in. below it. Where does the center of gravity of the entire lower limb
lie in relation to the knee joint?
15. Find the center of gravity of the lower limb with the knee flexed to a right angle. The person
weighs 150 lb. Distances are given in the figure, and the thigh , leg and foot weigh 14.5, 6.8 and
2.1 lb. respectively

16. A 125 lb subject lies supine on a board resting on knife edges which are 72 inches apart. The
difference in the scale reading is 2 lb. The new scale reading is 56 lb. The center of gravity is
shifted 7 in. Determine the weight of one lower limb.

17. Determine the force experienced by the biceps brachii shown in figure A? The bicep insert about
4 cm from the pivot axis. Consider a weight of 100N placed in the arm at 36 cm from pivot.
Neglect the forearm mass.
18. Determine the muscle force including the forearm weight Wf = 0.022Wb (Persons body weight is
70 kg), forearm center of the mass located at 18 cm from the pivot. Refer Fig A
19. Assume that a person is lifting a weight in a quasi-static manner using the muscles shown in the
fig B.
Calculate the joint reactions.
Determine the muscle load if we assume only the biceps is acting. Then, assume only the
brachialis is acting. Then, assume only the brachio-radialus is acting.
 Determine the muscle forces (assume each muscle develops the same stress). This is a
common technique for solving these kinds of problems, but not necessarily the best one.

Figure A Figure B Figure C

20. Resolve the muscle force at an angle of 1420 and determined angle at which
maximum muscle force extracted? Refer to Fig C.
21. Solve the more general shoulder problem with a weight in the hand, depicted in Fig., by finding
M, R,
and . Now evaluate the x and y components of the muscle force, the magnitude of the joint
reaction force,
and its angle for the following parameters: a = 15cm, b = 30cm, c = 60cm, = 15 , W = 40N, and
W0 = 60N.
22. In the crouching position, the lower leg is held in equilibrium through the action of the patellar
ligament,
which is attached to the upper tibia and runs over the kneecap. As depicted in Fig., the forces
acting on
the lower leg are N, R, and T. If the lower leg is in equilibrium, determine the magnitude of the
tension T
in the patellar ligament, and the direction and magnitude of R. Assume that the tension acts at a
point
directly below the point of action of R. Take the normal force equal to 100 lb (half the body
weight),
the weight of the leg Wleg as 20 lb, and the angle = 40 (for the leg at a 45 angle).
23. The split Russel traction device is used to stabilize the leg, as depicted in Fig., along with the
relevant force diagram. The leg is stabilized by two weights, W1 and W2, attached to the leg by
two cables. The leg and cast have a combined weight of W1 = 300N and a center of mass 2/3 of
the way from the left, as shown. The cable forW2 makes an angle = 45 with the horizontal.
For equilibrium, find the tension in the cables T1 and T2 and angle the cable for W1 makes with
the horizontal, .

24. The forces on the lower leg loaded with an ankle weight, as during
exercise is shown in figure. If M is the muscle force transmitted
by the patellar tendon, R the reaction force, and is the angle
between the horizontal and the leg. Calculate M, Rx, Ry (x and y
components of R) for a=12 cm, b=22 cm, c=50cm, W1=150N,
W0=100N, =15o, =45o

25. Consider the equilibrium of the foot during crouching for a 200-
lb person, with the force through the Achilles tendon, the reaction
force of the tibia, and the normal force from the floor in balance,
as in Fig. neglecting the weight of the foot for simplicity. Take the
angle = 38. (a) Why is the normal force from the floor 100 lb?
(b) Find the magnitude of Achilles tendon tension T and the
magnitude and direction of the reaction force F.
26. 200 lb man stands on his right foot while carrying a 100 lb bag in his left hand. The
center of mass of the bag is 12 in from his center of mass. (a) Show that the placement of
the foot (as shown) leads to no net torque in the body. (b) Find the force (its magnitude
and direction) on the head of the support femur and the force in the hip abductor muscle
by examining the right leg. (c) Compare your answers in parts (a) and (b) with what was
found for the man holding no mass without and with a cane (for Wb = 880N = 200 lb).
Are the forces here greater than for a (200 lb + 100 lb =) 300 lb man (with no cane).
Why? (The muscle angle and leg mass are only trivially different for the problem given
here and those analyzed above.) Forces on hip and femoral head while standing on one
leg and lifting a weight with the opposite hand.

27. Why is it more difficult to lift bulky objects? A person lifts a package of mass 20 kg in
front of her so the back of the package touches her abdomen. The horizontal distance
from the persons lumbar-sacral disc to the front of her abdomen in 20 cm. Calculate the
bending moments (in N-m) about the center of mass of her disc caused by the lifted
loads, assuming the package is alternatively 20 or 40 cm deep. Draw force diagrams for
these two cases. The other dimensions of the packages are the same and they both have
uniform density. How does this show that the size of the lifted object affects the load on
the lumbar spine?

28. Why is it better to standard erect when you hold an object? A person holds a 20 kg object
while either standing erect or bending over. The mass of the person above his lumbar-
sacral disc (his torso) is 45 kg. When upright, the center of mass of the torso is
(horizontally) 2 cm in front of his disc and that of the object is 30 cm in front of his disc.
When bent, the center of mass of the torso is 25 cm in front of his disc and that of the
 object is 40 cm in front of his disc. Draw force diagrams for these two cases. Calculate
the bending moments (in N-m) about the center of mass of his disc caused by holding this
load while either being upright or bent over. How does this show that bending when
lifting an object affects the load on the lumbar spine?

29. Why is it best to lift an object with bent legs and the object very close to you? A person
lifts a 20 kg object while either bending over with legs straight, with bent knees and the
object near to her body, or with bent knees and the object far from her body. The mass of
the person above her lumbar-sacral disc (her torso) is 45 kg. When bent over with straight
legs, the center of mass of her torso is (horizontally) 25 cm in front of her disc and that of
the object is 40 cm in front of her disc. When bent over with bent knees and the object
near her body, the center of mass of her torso is (horizontally) 18 cm in front of her disc
and that of the object is 35 cm in front of her disc. When bent over with bent knees and
the object far from her body, the center of mass of her torso is (horizontally) 25 cm in
front of her disc and that of the object is 50 cm in front of her disc. Draw force diagrams
for these three cases. Calculate the bending moments (in N-m) about the center of mass
of her disc for these three lifting methods. Which position is the worst? How does this
show that the position when lifting an object affects the load on the lumbar spine?

30. Consider the spinal cord at an angle = 30, corresponding to a deep bend. The weight of
the trunk W1 acts half way down the spinal cord. The weight of the arms, head, and any
object lifted, W2, act at the top of the spinal cord. These are shown in Fig. along with the
erector spinae force M . If W1 = 0.4Wb and W2 = 0.2Wb, with nothing
being lifted. Write the force and torque balance equations. If body mass is 100 kg,
Calculate the muscle forces, the reaction force on the lower spinal cord. If we carry some
weight in the arms, W2 increases. Calculate all the parameters is W2 is 0.4Wb and
calculate the additional force to balance this weight.
31. In a procedure to evaluate the strength of the triceps muscle, a person pushes down on a
load cell with the palm of his hand as indicated in the figure below. If the load-cell
reading is 160 N, determine the vertical tensile force F generated by the triceps muscle.
The mass of the lower arm is 1.5 kg with mass center at G. State any assumptions.

32. A person is performing slow arm curls with a 10-kg weight as indicated in the figure. The
brachialis muscle group (consisting of the biceps and brachialis muscles) is the major
factor in this exercise. Determine the magnitude F of the brachialis-muscle group force
and the magnitude E of the elbow joint reaction at point E for the forearm position shown
in the figure. Take the dimensions shown to locate the effective points of application of
the two muscle groups; these points are 200 mm directly above E and 50 mm directly to
the right of E. Include the effect of the 1.5-kg forearm mass with mass center at point G.
State any assumptions.

33. With his weight W equally distributed on both feet, a man begins to slowly rise from a
squatting position as indicated in the gure. Determine the tensile force F in the patellar
tendon and the magnitude of the force reaction at point O, which is the contact area
between the tibia and the femur. Note that the line of action of the patellar tendon force is
along its midline. Neglect the weight of the lower leg.
34. A quadriceps tendon attaches to a tibia at a 30 degree angle 4cm from the joint center at
knee. When an 80N weight is attached to the ankle 28 cm from the knee joint, how much
force is required of the quadriceps to maintain the leg in a horizontal position? What is
the magnitude and direction of the reaction force exerted by the femur on the tibia? A
sagital plane view of the lower leg is shown in the figure below.

35. Tendon forces Ta and Tb are exerted on the patella. The femur exerts force F on the
patella. If the magnitude of Tb is 80N, what are the magnitudes of Ta and F, if no motion
is occurring at the joint. Assume the Angle made by Ta on joint of rotation is 38 degree,
Angle made by Tb on joint of rotation is 30 degree, Angle made by F on joint of rotation
is 29 degree.

36. A man holds 25 lb weight in hand. The forearm and hand weigh 4 lb. The elbow is flexed
to right angle. Compute the force required in the principle elbow flexers to support the
load plus weight of the forearm.
37. A man is pushing his arm downward against a sling to oppose a 20 lb load.The forearm is
not moving and its weight is ignored. What is the isometric contraction force of the
triceps and the compression force on the distal end of the humerous?

38. Weights totaling 30 lb are placed on the foot. The leg and foot weigh 9 lb. The centre pf
gravity of the leg and foot together lies 8 in. distal to the knee joint axis.Find the
magnitude and the action line of the total load pulling down against the knee extensor
muscles.