Musculoskeletal modeling is capable of estimating physiological parameters that cannot be directly measured, 1 , 2 however, the validity of the results must be assessed. A substantial challenge of modeling the shoulder lies in proper implementation of scapular kinematics. 3 , 4 Scapular
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Errors Associated With Utilizing Prescribed Scapular Kinematics to Estimate Unconstrained, Natural Upper Extremity Motion in Musculoskeletal Modeling
R. Tyler Richardson, Elizabeth A. Rapp, R. Garry Quinton, Kristen F. Nicholson, Brian A. Knarr, Stephanie A. Russo, Jill S. Higginson, and James G. Richards
Modeling a Viscoelastic Gymnastics Landing Mat during Impact
Chris Mills, Matthew T.G. Pain, and Maurice R. Yeadon
Landing mats that can undergo a large amount of area deformation are now essential for the safe completion of landings in gymnastics. The objective of this study was to develop an analytical model of a landing mat that reproduces the key characteristics of the mat-ground force during impact with minimal simulation run time. A force plate and two high-speed video cameras were used to record the mat deformation during vertical drop testing of a 24-kg impactor. Four increasingly complex point mass spring-damper models, from a single mass spring-damper system, Model 1, to a 3-layer mass spring-damper system, Model 4, were constructed using Matlab to model the mat's behavior during impact. A fifth model composed of a 3-layer mass spring-damper system was developed using visual Nastran 4D. The results showed that Models 4 and 5 were able to match the loading phase of the impact with simulation times of less than 1 second for Model 4 and 28 seconds for Model 5. Both Models 4 and 5 successfully reproduced the key force-time characteristics of the mat-ground interface, such as peak forces, time of peak forces, interpeak minima and initial rates of loading, and could be incorporated into a gymnast-mat model.
Relevance of Damped Harmonic Oscillation for Modeling the Training Effects on Daily Physical Performance Capacity in Team Sport
Stéphane Morin, Saïd Ahmaïdi, and Pierre-Marie Leprêtre
Context:
Positive and negative effects of training induce apparent oscillations of performance, suggesting that the delayed cumulative effects of training on daily performance capacity (DPC) are best fitted by sine waves damped over time.
Purpose:
To compare the criterion validity of the impulse-response (IR) model of Banister et al and the damped harmonic oscillation (DHO) model for quantifying the training load (TL)–DPC relationship.
Methods:
Six female professional volleyball players (20.8 ± 2.4 y) were monitored using the session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) for 9 mo to quantify TL. Countermovement-jump (CMJ) and 4-step-approach-CMJ (4sCMJ) performances were recorded once a month. Parameters of models were determined by minimizing residual-sum squares between predicted and real performances with a nonlinear regression.
Results:
DPC was best fitted by the DHO model rather than the IR model (CMJ, R 2 = .80 ±.08 and.69 ±.20, respectively; 4sCMJ, R 2 = .86 ± .09 and .67 ± .29, respectively). The damping parameter θ and the period T were positively correlated with age (ρ = 0.81, P < .05, and ρ = 0.86, P < .02, respectively).
Conclusions:
The DHO model is a useful tool for modeling DPC as the sum of the delayed DPCs from the consecutive training and recovery days. DPC could be considered the expression of the individual process of accumulation and dissipation of fatigue induced by training. DHO-model parameters were correlated with age, which prompts one to postulate that expertise has a major influence on DPC. The DHO model will help coaches develop a greater understanding of training effects and make monitoring of the training process more effective.
Direct Kinematic Modeling of the Upper Limb During Trunk-Assisted Reaching
Sylvain Hanneton, Svetlana Dedobbeler, Thomas Hoellinger, and Agnès Roby-Brami
The study proposes a rigid-body biomechanical model of the trunk and whole upper limb including scapula and the test of this model with a kinematic method using a six-dimensional (6-D) electromagnetic motion capture (mocap) device. Large unconstrained natural trunk-assisted reaching movements were recorded in 7 healthy subjects. The 3-D positions of anatomical landmarks were measured and then compared to their estimation given by the biomechanical chain fed with joint angles (the direct kinematics). Thus, the prediction errors was attributed to the different joints and to the different simplifications introduced in the model. Large (approx. 4 cm) end-point prediction errors at the level of the hand were reduced (to approx. 2 cm) if translations of the scapula were taken into account. As a whole, the 6-D mocap seems to give accurate results, except for pronosupination. The direct kinematic model could be used as a virtual mannequin for other applications, such as computer animation or clinical and ergonomical evaluations.
Effect of Mechanically Passive, Wearable Shoulder Exoskeletons on Muscle Output During Dynamic Upper Extremity Movements: A Computational Simulation Study
Allison J. Nelson, Patrick T. Hall, Katherine R. Saul, and Dustin L. Crouch
, computational musculoskeletal modeling and simulation tools have offered a cost-effective, alternative approach to experimental testing for both upper 33 , 39 and lower extremity exoskeletons. 40 Thus, in the proposed study, we used computational modeling and simulation to evaluate muscle output during
Measurements of Wrist and Finger Postures: A Comparison of Goniometric and Motion Capture Techniques
James R. Cook, Nancy A. Baker, Rakié Cham, Erin Hale, and Mark S. Redfern
A marker-based kinematic hand model to quantify finger postures was developed and compared to manual goniometric measurements. The model was implemented with data collected from static postures of five subjects. The metacarpal phalangeal (MCP) and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints were positioned in flexion of approximately 30, 60, and 90 degrees for 5 subjects. Wrist flexion/extension and ulnar/radial deviations were also examined. The model-based angles for the MCP and PIP joints were not statistically equivalent to the goniometric measurements, with differences of −1.8 degrees and +3.5 degrees, respectively. Differences between the two measurement methods for the MCP and PIP were found to be a function of the posture (i.e., 150, 120, or 90 degree blocks) used. Wrist measurements differed by −4.0 degrees for ulnar/radial deviation and +5.2 degrees for flexion/extension. Much of the difference between the model and goniometric measurements is believed due to inaccuracies in the goniometric measurements. The proposed model is useful for future investigations of finger-intensive activities by supplying accurate and unbiased measures of joint angles.
Three-Dimensional Dynamic Analysis of Wheelchair Propulsion
Mary M. Rodgers, Srinivas Tummarakota, and Junghsen Lieh
A three-dimensional (3-D) inverse dynamic model of wheelchair propulsion was developed using the Newton-Euler method based on body coordinate systems. With this model, the arm was assumed to be three rigid segments (hand, forearm, and upper arm) connected by the wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints. A symbolic method was adopted to generate the equations of motion. The model was used to compute the joint forces and moments based on the inputs obtained from a 3-D motion analysis system, which included an instrumented wheelchair, video cameras, and a data acquisition system. The linear displacements of markers placed on the joints were measured and differentiated to obtain their velocities and accelerations. Three-dimensional contact forces and moments from hand to handrim were measured and used to calculate joint forces and moments of the segments.
Subject-Specific Estimates of Tendon Slack Length: A Numerical Method
Kurt Manal and Thomas S. Buchanan
Tendon develops force proportional to the distance it is stretched beyond its slack length. Tendon slack length is an important parameter for musculoskeletal models because it can greatly affect estimations of muscle force. Unfortunately, tendon slack length is a difficult parameter to measure, and therefore values for it are not often reported in the literature. In this paper we present a numerical method for estimating tendon slack length from architectural parameters of the muscle. Specifically, tendon slack length is computed iteratively from musculotendon lengths determined when a corresponding joint is held at two angles, and from knowledge of the muscle's optimal fiber length. Idealized data generated using SIMM were used to test the tendon slack length algorithm. The method converged to within 1% of the “true” tendon slack length specified in the SIMM model. The advantage of the method outlined in this paper is that it yields subject-specific estimates of tendon slack length, given subject-specific input parameters.
Examining the Interrelations among Knowledge, Interests, and Learning Strategies
Bo Shen and Ang Chen
Guided by the Model of Domain Learning (MDL), the study was designed to explore the extent of interrelations among prior knowledge, learning strategies, interests, physical engagement, and learning outcomes in a sixth-grade (N = 91) volleyball unit. Pearson product-moment correlations and a path analysis were conducted for the research purpose. The results showed that students’ prior knowledge, learning strategies, and interests were interrelated. Physical engagement and learning outcomes were directly influenced by the interactions among prior knowledge, interests, and learning strategies. The findings in the study support that learning in physical education is domain-specific and a progressive process that encompasses both cognitive and affective components.
Equinus Deformity as a Compensatory Mechanism for Ankle Plantarflexor Weakness in Cerebral Palsy
David A. Hampton, Kevin W. Hollander, and Jack R. Engsberg
A theory for equinus gait in cerebral palsy (CP) is that the strong plantarflexors prevent the weak dorsiflexors from achieving dorsiflexion, thereby causing the ankle to be in a plantarflexed position. Recent work has indicated that both the ankle dorsiflexors and plantarflexors are weak. The purpose of this research was to theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that equinus deformity gait could be a compensatory strategy for plantarflexor weakness. It was hypothesized that children with CP utilize an equinus position during gait as a consequence of their weakness. A two-dimensional, sagittal plane model estimating plantarflexor forces through the Achilles tendon was developed. Five able-bodied (AB) children were tested utilizing heel-toe and progressively increasing toe walking strategies. Four children with CP were tested as they walked using their equinus gait. Results demonstrated that AB children assuming the toe walking stance progressively reduced the plantarflexor force when compared to their heel-toe walking trials. However, their toe walking strategy could not reduce the plantarflexor force level to that of the children with CP during the gait cycle. It was concluded that the equinus deformity posture complemented the CP children's plantarflexor weakness. Therefore, by implementing a concomitant strategy to maintain a reduced force state, equinus deformity could be used as a compensatory mechanism for individuals with plantarflexor weakness.
