Determination of the Moments of Inertia of the Human Body and its Limbs

Abstract

This is another classic contribution by Braune and Fischer to the field of biomechanics, translated here for the first time from the original German edition of 1892. The pendulum method was employed to ascertain accurately the moments and radii of inertia of the human body and its different parts about all axes - transverse, oblique or longitudinal. This elegant method is described in detail, together with the results. Relations were found between the centres of inertia on the one hand, and the lengths and diameters of the body segments on the other. These data were originally prepared for the authors' later work, The Human Gait, to determine the forces exerted on and by the parts of the body during walking. Such work is the basis for solving the mechanical problems related to any movement of the human body: thus, the original results presented here continue to be of immense value to current research and practice. Introduction -- Experimental Determination of the Moments of Inertia of the Parts of the Body About Axes Through the Centre of Gravity and at Right Angles to the Longitudinal Axis, and About the Longitudinal Axis Itself -- Deduction of the Moments of Inertia About Any Axis Through the Centre of Gravity -- Deduction of the Moments of Inertia About Any Axis in Space -- Example of Application of the Moments of Inertia Thus Found: Determination of the Period of Oscillation of the Leg at Different Degrees of Flexion -- Summary -- Index.