Biomechanics

[StuartWildman]

Hi, I'm a 1st yr Physio student, anybody know about Biomechanics? Moment arms in particular?

[trigarl]

think of two kids in a park on a seesaw.one kid is fat the other is skinny . if the fat kid sits half way out on his side,the skinny kid has to sit out a lot further to balance the seesaw in the middle.the point from the pivot or fulcrum is the moment arm. this is a basis example on a first class lever. with a 2nd class lever think of a wheelbarrow with the pivot being the wheel the stuff in thebarrow being the kid on one side and the person pushing it being the other.hope that helps

[johan]

Great stuff, I love it.
One of the easiest examples may be the achilles tendon and the calcaneus. The talocrural joint (axes) lies a fair way infront of most posterior point of the calcaneus allowing a large ARM and therefore great forces can be reached.
Here is something I found on the web:http://www.cchs.usyd.edu.au/physteach/bone/.

Have a look at it.
JdG