Measurement of Human Locomotion

The book explains how measurement data are acquired, processed, and presented in a modern computer-based laboratory.The importance of measurements for the proper assessment of human locomotion is being recognized increasingly. The fields of application encompass both healthy and pathological locomotion as encountered in rehabilitation medicine, orthopedics, kinesiology, sports medicine, and the like. Measurement of Human Locomotion provides an up-to-date description of the instrument systems used for measurement of: kinematics of human movement; kinetic quantities experienced by the human body in contact with the ground; and, myoelectric changes associated with locomotor activity.The importance of measurements for the proper assessment of human locomotion is increasingly being recognized. The fields of application encompass both healthy and pathological locomotion as encountered in rehabilitation medicine, orthopedics, kinesiology, sports medicine, and the like.Measurement of Human Locomotion provides an up-to-date description of the instrument systems used for measurement of: kinematics of human movement; kinetic quantities experienced by the human body in contact with the ground; and, myoelectric changes associated with locomotor activity.Physical principles behind the operation of various measurement systems are emphasized, as well as signal processing issues that must be addressed in order to obtain and use quantitative measurement variables in biomechanics. The book explains how measurement data are acquired, processed and presented to the user in the environment of a modern, computer-based laboratory. The ultimate aim is to contribute to the processes of the diagnosis and treatment of locomotion disorders.The purpose of Measurement of Human Locomotion is to provide a concise but comprehensive presentation of the systems used for the measurement of human locomotion, with a view to the assessment and diagnosis of the phenomenon.Measurement of Human Locomotion provides an up-to-date description of the instrument systems used for measurement of: kinematics of human movement; kinetic quantities experienced by the human body in contact with the ground; and, myoelectric changes associated with locomotor activity. Physical principles behind the operation of various measurement systems are emphasized, as well as signal processing issues that must be addressed in order to obtain and use quantitative measurement variables in biomechanics. The purpose of Measurement of Human Locomotion is to provide a concise but comprehensive presentation of the systems used for the measurement of human locomotion, with a view to the assessment and diagnosis of the phenomenon and treatment of locomotion disorders.Medved (biomechanics, University of Zagreb, Croatia) describes instrument systems for measurement of kinematics of human movement, kinetic quantities experienced by the human body in contact with the ground, and myoelectric changes associated with locomotor activity. Physical principles governing the operation of several measurement devices and relevant mathematics and engineering are presented, as well as signal processing issues that must be addressed in order to obtain and use quantitative measurement variables in the biomechanical context. Measurement data acquisition, processing, and presentation to the user in a computer-based laboratory environment are also explained. The final chapter touches on clinical application of locomotion measurement for evaluating prostheses and orthoses for the lower extremities, and sports testing procedures. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)