Biomechanics of Human Movement

Abstract

The meaning of some key words, such as the center of gravity, the floor reaction force, the joint moment and the joint power is explained to understand biomechanics of human movement. The movement of the center of gravity is caused by the floor reaction forces, and the muscle forces are the motive power of the floor reaction forces. The joint moment is a parameter for the muscle activity during movement, and the joint power, which is calculated by the joint moment and the joint angular velocity, shows the activation pattern of muscles. The activity of muscles around each joint is explained by the gait data during level walking. © 2003, The Society of Physical Therapy Science. All rights reserved.