Link Segment Model

Joint Reaction Forces

Muscle Moments
Joint Power
 Newtons Laws of Motion
I. Law of Inertia: A body at rest stays at rest and a
body in motion stays in motion unless acted upon
by a force or torque.
II. Law of Acceleration: The acceleration a body
experiences is directly proportional to the force or
torque, inversely proportional to the mass or
moment of inertia and occurs in the direction of the
force or torque.
III. Law of Reaction: For every action there is an
opposite reaction.
 Newtons First Law: Law of Inertia
Law of Inertia: A body at rest stays at rest and a body in
motion stays in motion unless acted upon by a force or
torque.
Mass is the measure of an objects resistance to linear
change.
Moment of inertia is the measure of an objects resistance
to angular change.

F = m a T = I

To solve for forces and torques, we need both mass

and moment of inertia.
 Moment of Inertia (I)

ICG= 3.5 kgm2

I CG md 2

The Moment of Inertia (I) represents

ICG= 15 kgm
2
an objects resistance to angular change
ICG= 6.5 kgm 2
about some axis.
Moment of inertia is a sum of the
product of mass times the squared
distance of the mass about the axis.
ICG= 83 kgm2 When body parts are moved closer to
the axis of rotation the moment of
inertia (resistance to spin) is reduced.
 Link Segment Model Assumptions

Each segment has a fixed mass located at its center of mass

The joints are considered as hinge joints
The moment of inertia is fixed during movement
The length of each segment is constant
 Input Information to Mass & moment of inertia of
Solve for Joint Forces each segment.
and Torques
Location of each segments
Center of Mass (CM).
Position, velocity, acceleration of
each segments CM (x, y, Vx, Vy,
Ax, Ay).
Angular position, velocity,
acceleration about each segments
CM (, , ).
External forces for all contact
points.
Center of pressure or location of
Center of Pressure external forces acting on the
gives the location of body.
external forces acting
on the body.
Inverse Dynamics: Finding Forces & Torques from Position Data.
[working backward to solve for forces & torques]
Anatomical Relationship
Forces & Torques Acting On Each Segment
Joint Moments