Origins and Principles of Clinical Biomechanics in Human Locomotion discusses key concepts of how biomechanics links to the development of pathology through mechanical laws, anatomy, physiology and health. It provides fundamental principles and practical data, and guidance of how to apply these in the clinical biomechanics field. Coverage includes: major joint movement, muscle action around joints, physiology and patho-physiology of bone, muscle and neurologic disorders. This reference is ideal for teaching students in biomechanics, orthopedics and physiotherapy. It should also be of interest to product development engineers, rehabilitation engineers, those working in prosthetics and orthotics, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. The authors explore the simple laws of motion as applied to anatomy and physiology, in order to help readers understand human pathology within the human lower limb and mobility. They then go on to look at materials science concerns within this field, such as engineering stresses and strains, principles and types of material properties and the shaping of structural properties. Readers will also find within this book information on tissue science, force generation, biological sciences, evolution in biomechanics, human gait, functional units of the lower limb and foot, and finally pathomechanical principles; all as applied to clinical biomechanics.

Clinical Biomechanics in Human Locomotion: Gait and Pathomechanical Principles explores the clinical management of gait-disturbing or gait-induced pathologies and biomechanical variances during gait between individuals. The book discusses what is required to make terrestrial human locomotion safe and what causes pathology within a context of high locomotive and morphological variability. The interaction of genetics, epigenetics, developmental biology and physiology under the influence of locomotive biomechanics and metabolic energetics drives evolution. Such biological pressures on survival are essential in understanding the locomotive biomechanics of modern humans. In addition, lifestyle, including gait speed adaptability established during the growth influences of anatomical development is also considered.

Gait analysis is the study of the walking or running pattern of an individual. This can include spatial and temporal measurements such as step length, stride length and speed along with angular measurements of various joints and the interplay between various parts like the foot, hip, pelvis or spine when walking. Gait analysis can be used to assess clinical conditions and design effective rehabilitation; for example, following limb injury or amputation, or other disorders such as a stroke or Parkinson's diagnosis. It can be used to influence intervention decisions, such as whether a patient should undergo surgery, further physiotherapy, or begin a particular treatment regime. Gait analysis can also be used in sports science to monitor and review performance and technique. Gait can be recorded in a variety of ways, including pressure sensors, force plates, in-shoe pressure systems, through marker-based or marker-less systems using various cameras or sensors to calculate body positions in a set sequence of movements. This book focuses on both the hardware systems for collecting data as well as data visualisation and mathematical models for interpreting the data. It is written by a range of international researchers from academia, industry, and clinical settings, providing a complete overview of gait analysis technologies suitable for an audience of engineers in rehabilitation technologies or other biomedical engineering fields.