Biomechanics

(4 Credits)

This course consists of two parts. In the first part, the basic concepts of mechanics, such as force and torque, are introduced. These concepts are first applied to analyze relatively simple mechanical systems. Analogies between basic mechanical elements and human body parts are formed, and the principles of mechanics are then applied to analyze muscle and joint reaction forces controlling and coordinating the movements of major joints of the human musculoskeletal system. The second part of the course is devoted to the analyses of ?moving? systems with applications to human motion analyses and sports mechanics. The topics covered include description and causes of linear and rotational motion, one- and two-dimensional linear and angular kinematics and kinetics motion analysis as well as concepts of work, energy, power, impulse, and momentum and their application for the analysis of bodies in motion. Course lectures are carried out by solving examples and problems on the covered topics.