Dynamic Modeling of Musculoskeletal Motion

This title introduces biomechanists at all levels of expertise to modern methods of modelling and analyzing dynamic biomechanical systems in three dimensions. Using vector kinematics, the reader is taught a systematic method which significantly reduces the complexity of working with multiple, moving limb segments in three dimensions. Operations which usually require the application of different calculus are replaced by simple algebraic formula. To derive dynamical equations of motion, a practical introduction to Kane's Method is given. Kane's Method builds upon the foundation of vector kinematics and represents one of the most exciting theoretical developments of the modern era. Together, these techniques enable biomechanists to decipher and model living systems with great realism, efficiency and accuracy. Using these methods, much more time can be spent on biomechanical issues, and much less time must be expended tediously deriving equations of motion. Interwoven with the theoretical presentation are chapters and examples which highlight the subtle differences between inanimate linkages and the biomechanical systems we seek to understand. About the cover - dancer Alea Canning twirls a girl at the Lirio de los Valles orphanage in Baja California, Mexico. Photograph and artwork by Gary T. Yamaguchi.