Movement Terminology & Biomechanical
Principles
Lecture 1
Dr. Julie Saji
Biomechanics
Kinetics
Kinematics
Qualitative analysis Quantitative analysis
Statics
Dynamics
Naming and evaluating Counting and measuring
movement components movement component
Study of body in
state of rest
Study of body in
state of motion
What is Kinesiology ?
ki·ne·si·ol·o·gy n. [Greek kinesis, movement; -logy, science of.]
• The study of the anatomy, physiology, and mechanics of body
movement, especially in humans.
-American Heritage Dictionary
• The branch of physiology that studies the mechanics and anatomy
in relation to human movement.
-Merriam-Webster’s Medical Dictionary
• The study of muscular movement, especially the mechanics of
human motion.
- Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Kinesiology
• A sound understanding of kinesiology allows for the
development of a rational evaluation, a precise diagnosis, and
an effective treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, and allows
for safe, appropriate exercise prescription.
• The study of Kinesiology borrows heavily from the sciences of
anatomy, biomechanics, and physiology.
– Anatomy – the science of the shape and structure of the
human body and its parts.
– Biomechanics – a discipline that uses principles of physics
to quantitatively study how forces interact with the living
body.
– Physiology – the biologic study of living organism.
Kinematics
• Kinematics: is a branch of mechanics that
describes the motion of a body without regard to
the forces or torques causing the motion e.g.
velocities and accelerations. There are 2 types of
kinematics. Qualitative and quantitative analysis.
• Qualitative analysis: deals with naming and
evaluating movement component.
• Quantitative analysis: is concerned with
counting and measuring movement component
e.g. time and weight.
Kinetics
• Kinetics: is a branch of mechanics that
describes the effect of forces on the body. There
are 2 types of kinetics are statics and dynamics.
- Statics: is the study of bodies remaining at rest
or in equilibrium brought about by balanced
forces.
- Dynamics: is the study of moving bodies under
the effect of unbalanced forces.
Kinesiology Terminology
• There are two general types of motions that occur
within joints of the human body.
– Translation – linear motion in which all parts of a
rigid body move parallel to and in the same
direction as every other part of the body. Can
occur in either a straight line or a curved line.
– Rotation – motion in which an assumed rigid
body moves in a circular path about some pivot
point; all points in the body simultaneously rotate
in the same angular direction.
• Active Movement – movement of a body (movement of a bone
at a joint) that is caused by muscular contraction.
• Passive Movement – movement of a body caused by sources
other than muscular contraction (i.e. an outside push or pull,
gravity, etc.).
Reference Position:
• Anatomical position= person standing upright,
facing straight ahead, feet parallel and close,
and palms facing forward.
• Fundamental position= palms facing the body.
Planes of motion
• Osteokinematics – describes the motion of bones
relative to the three cardinal planes of the body;
Sagittal, Frontal & Horizontal.
1. The sagittal plane runs parallel to the sagittal
suture of the skull, dividing the body into Rt. And
Lt. sections.
2. The frontal plane runs parallel to coronal suture
of the skull, dividing the body into front and back
sections.
3. The horizontal (transverse) plane courses parallel
to the horizon and divides the body into upper
Cardinal Planes of Motion
• Most human movements take place in multiple
planes.
• Although each specific joint movement can be
classified as being in one of the three planes of
motion, our movements are usually not totally in
one specific plane but occur as a combination of
motions in more than one plane, which is often
called a diagonal plane.
Axes of rotation
• Bones rotate about a joint in a plane that is
perpendicular to an axis of rotation. The shoulder, for
example, allows movement in all 3 planes and,
therefore, has three axes of rotation.
• Axis of rotation= the axis which has a 90°
relationship to the plane of motion and around which
the movement takes place. Three types are
sagital,frontal and vertical axes.
Osteokinematics: A matter of perspective:
-Movement of a joint can be
considered from the perspective of
either the proximal (close) segment or
the distal (further) segment.
“Femoral on Pelvic Motion”
-The proximal segment can rotate
around the distal segment when the
distal segment is the relatively stable
segment. Likewise, the distal segment
can also rotate around the proximal
segment when the proximal segment is
the relatively stable segment.
“Pelvic on Femoral Motion”
Directional Terms:
Arthrokinematics: Typical joint morphology:
• Arthrokinematics: the motion that occurs between
the articular surfaces of a joint
• Arthrokinematics is largely dependent on the shape of
the joint structures (shape of the bones within a joint)
• Arthrokinematic Principles of Movement
– Convex surface on a concave: convex rolls and
slides in the opposite direction
– Concave surface on convex: concave member
rolls and slides in similar directions
Movements in joints:
There are three fundamental
movements that occur within
a joint
– Roll – multiple points
along one rotating articular
surface contact multiple
points on another articular
surface
– Slide – a single point on
one
articular
surface
contacts multiple points on
another articular surface
– Spin – a single point on
one
articular
surface
rotates on a single point on
another articular surface
Arthrokinematics
(cont.)