Biomechanics of the Upper Limbs - A. Freivalds (CRC, 2004) WW

625 Pages·2004·5.25 MB·English

BIOMECHANICS OF
THE UPPER LIMBS

Mechanics, Modeling, and
Musculoskeletal Injuries

TF2279_C00.fm Page 2 Tuesday, May 25, 2004 10:02 PM

CRC PR ESS

Boca Raton London New York Washington, D.C.

Andris Freivalds

BIOMECHANICS OF
THE UPPER LIMBS

Mechanics, Modeling, and
Musculoskeletal Injuries

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International Standard Book Number 0-7484-0926-2
Library of Congress Card Number 2004049376
Printed in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
Printed on acid-free paper

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Freivalds, Andris.
Biomechanics of the upper limbs : mechanics, modeling, and musculoskeletal injuries /
by Andris Freivalds.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7484-0926-2 (alk. paper)
1. Arm--Wounds and injuries. 2. Human mechanics. I. Title.

RD557.F746 2004
617.5

′

74044--dc22

2004049376

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Preface

What Is Biomechanics and Why Study It?

Biomechanics is the science that deals with forces and their effects, applied
to biological systems. For this book, though, the focus will be exclusively on
the upper limbs of the human. Over the last 20 years or so, there has been
a tremendous increase in the number of work-related musculoskeletal dis-
orders (WRMSDs) in the upper limbs. Not only do these preventable injuries
produce unnecessary pain, suffering, and expense in workers, they also place
an undue financial burden on industry in our tight economy. By better
understanding the forces and their effects on the human body, the ergono-
mist may have a better insight into the role of various job stressors on the
development of these disorders. With better control of these job stressors
and the workplace environment, the current epidemic of WRMSDs may
perhaps be brought under control. In so doing, both workers and companies
will benefit. Although much effort has already been expended by NIOSH
and the medical community in understanding WRMSDs and educating the
practitioners, further work is still needed, and this book may help with the
process.

Why Was This Book Written?

The objective of this book is to provide a practical up-to-date engineering-
oriented graduate-level textbook on the biomechanics of the upper limbs.
There are numerous other books providing general introductions to cumu-
lative trauma disorders and medical management to the layperson and sev-
eral serious texts on the biomechanics of manual material handling and low
back problems; however, none focuses solely on the upper limbs, where most
of the work-related musculoskeletal disorders seem to reside. Furthermore,
this textbook emphasizes the musculoskeletal components involved, engi-
neering models of these components, and measurement and prediction of
injury potential based on these models.

For Whom Was This Book Written?

This book is primarily intended as a university textbook for graduate-level
engineering or kinesiology students, the future practitioners in the WRMSD
research area. A large amount of material was collected from various research
literature sources and technical reports from very diverse disciplines. It is
hoped that this material was distilled into a happy medium of medical and

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engineering expertise, at a technical level that is appropriate for the reader.
The book may also prove useful to researchers, industrial ergonomists,
industrial hygienists, and medical professionals as a reference text to sup-
plement their professional material.

How Is the Book Organized?

The book is organized into ten chapters. Chapters 1 through 3 provide an
introduction to the human musculoskeletal system, neuromuscular physiol-
ogy, and the motor control system. Chapters 4 and 5 present the mechanics
and models of the various components of the neuromuscular systems as well
as models of larger systems. Chapter 6 discusses the various WRMSDs and
their associated risk factors. Chapters 7 and 8 present the types of instru-
ments and analysis tools that can be used to identify the WRMSDs in the
industrial workplace. Chapters 9 and 10 provide specific applications to hand
tools and computer workstations, with which most of the upper limb
WRMSDs have been associated. Thus, one chapter can be covered roughly
every one and a half weeks in a typical semester-long course.
This textbook also attempts to assist the educator by providing numerous
examples and problems with each chapter. A Web site (http://www.ie.psu.
edu/courses/ie552) is available for on-line notes, background material, solu-
tions, and sample exams. Comments and suggestions for improvement from
users of this textbook are greatly appreciated. This is especially important if
any outright errors are detected. Please simply respond to the

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on the Web site or contact the author directly by e-mail

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