Changes In Joint Angles Research Articles

A kinematic and kinetic analysis of locomotion during voluntary gait modification in the cat.

As part of a study to characterize the postural reactions that occur during voluntary gait modification, we examined the kinematic, electromyographic (EMG), and kinetic responses that occurred when cats stepped over an obstacle placed in their path. Analyses of the kinematics as each of the forelimbs stepped over the obstacle showed that changes in joint angles were most pronounced at the elbow of the first (lead) limb, and at the shoulder of the second (trailing) limb. In the hindlimbs, there was a pronounced change in the knee joint angle in both the leading and trailing limbs. Examination of the horizontal and vertical velocities of the tip of the forepaw suggests that the movements can be divided into two phases: one in which the limb is rapidly lifted above and over the obstacle, and a slower one during which the limb is carefully repositioned on the floor. On the basis of the velocity profiles, we suggest that the repositioning of the paw on the support surface is more critically controlled for the forelimb than for the hindlimb. Analysis of the changes in the ground reaction forces in the supporting limbs during these gait modifications showed that there were two major increases in vertical reaction force. One of these occurred as the two forelimbs were straddling the obstacle, the other when the two hindlimbs were straddling it. There was also a net increase in the anteroposterior force that resulted in a small increase in propulsion as the cat stepped over the obstacle. Each change in the vertical ground reaction force was paralleled by a similar change in the amplitude of the EMG recorded from the respective extensor muscles. An analysis of the vertical displacement of the scapula and of the pelvis showed that there was a slight increase in the height of the scapula in the support limb just prior to and during the swing phase of the trailing forelimb, and a more pronounced and progressive change in the height of the pelvis prior to and during the passage of both hindlimbs over the obstacle. We suggest that the increases in vertical ground reaction force raise the height of the body sufficiently to allow, respectively, passage of the trail forelimb and each of the hindlimbs over the obstacle. The results are discussed with respect to both the biomechanical changes underlying these gait modifications and the neuronal mechanisms implicated in their control.

Relationship of calculating the Jacobian matrices of nonlinear systems and population coding algorithms in neurobiology

In this paper we examine how the calculation of Jacobian matrices in nonlinear systems is related to population coding algorithms in neurobiology. Population coding algorithms have been designed to retrodict sensory stimuli or predict motor behavior from neuronal responses. We simulate the visuomotor hand movement task of reaching in a plane. Adaptive feedback control updating of joint angles of a three-joint arm was used in the model. The control signal is the dot product between the visual error signal and the Jacobian matrix of the direct kinematic equation of hand movement. The x and y hand trajectories can follow the x and y time series of Lorenz and Ro¨ssler systems of coupled nonlinear equations. In this particular example, the elements of the Jacobian matrix can be estimated from observed changes in joint angles and Cartesian coordinate values of the hand. We also point out how the Jacobian matrices in nonlinear biological systems can be estimated in general from observed time series; e.g. joint angles, Cartesian coordinate values of hand movement, neural or muscle activity. Estimating Jacobian matrices of nonlinear functions from experimental observations can provide not only data analysis but also signal synthesis and can lead to a more realistic modeling of sensorimotor transformations.

Directional specificity of postural muscles in feed-forward postural reactions during fast voluntary arm movements.

Healthy subjects performed bilateral fast shoulder movements in different directions while standing on a force platform. Anticipatory postural adjustments were seen as changes in the electrical activity of postural muscles as well as displacements of the center of pressure and center of gravity. Postural muscle pairs of agonist-antagonist commonly demonstrated triphasic patterns starting prior to the first electromyographic (EMG) burst in the prime-mover muscle. Proximal postural muscles demonstrated the largest anticipatory increase in the background activity during movements in one of the two opposite directions (forward or backwards). These changes progressively decreased when movements deviated from the preferred direction and frequently disappeared during movements in the opposite direction. The patterns in distal muscles varied across subjects and could demonstrate larger anticipatory changes during movements forward and backwards as compared to movements in intermediate directions. Bilateral addition of inertial loads to the wrists did not change the general anticipatory patterns, while making some of their features more pronounced. Anticipatory postural adjustments were followed by later changes in the activity of postural muscles, also reflected in the mechanical variables. Changes in leg joint angles revealed a "hip-ankle strategy" during shoulder flexions and an "ankle strategy" during shoulder extensions. The study demonstrates different behaviors of proximal and distal muscles during anticipatory postural adjustments in preparation for fast arm movements. We suggest that the proximal muscles produce a general pattern of postural adjustments, while distal muscles take care of fine adjustments that are more likely to vary across subjects.

The computation of position sense from spindles in mono- and multiarticular muscles

It is known that muscle spindles provide the majority of information about limb position, but little is known about how position sense is computed from their signals. We have developed a family of musculoskeletal models in order to determine some of the fundamental properties associated with transforming noisy spindle information into putative internal coordinate frames for position sense. A two-joint model was developed containing one biarticular and two monoarticular muscles with a total of 1000 sensors distributed among them. The sensors were assumed to function like spindle secondary afferents under fusimotor control designed to optimize their ability to encode static position in the presence of constant output noise. The optimal distribution of sensors was found to depend strongly on the coordinate frame in which position was measured (intersegmental angle, segment orientation, or end-point of the limb) and on the topology of the biarticular muscle with respect to the plane of motion. A similar analysis was performed for an anthropometric model of the human arm, using previously published counts of muscle spindles. In general, the actual distribution of spindles about the elbow and shoulder does not seem to favor any single coordinate frame for position sense. We also looked at the potential accuracy in detecting changes in joint angles based on the distribution of muscle spindles throughout the human body. The distribution of spindles about individual joints accounts well for psychophysical data showing a proximodistal descending gradient of angular resolution that partially reflects the relative importance of more proximal joints for determining the location of the end-point.

バドミントンのスマッシュ動作における腕運動のメカニズム

This study was designed to analyze the jumping forehand smash of elite players based on three-dimensional kinematic data, and to gain insight into the basic badminton smash technique. Jumping smashes of four male elite players were filmed with two high-speed cameras operating at 250Hz with exposure times of 1/1500 and 1/1250 s. Nine jumping smashes were selected for the analysis, and were digitized from the take-off of the jump to the end of the swing in the air. Thirty three-dimensional coordinates for the segment endpoints and racket were computed by a Direct Linear Transformation Method. Small reference poles were fixed to the forearms of the swing arms of the subjects to detect the movements of the radio-ulnar joint and wrist joint. The following six joint angle changes were obtained throughout the smash motion. (a) abduction/adduction angle at the shoulder joint; (b) internal rotation/external rotation angle at the shoulder joint; (c) flexion/extension angle at the elbow joint; (d) pronation/supination angle at the radio-ulnar joint; (e) radial flexion/ulnar flexion angle at the wrist joint; (f) palmar flexion/dorsiflexion angle at the wrist joint. The results showed that internal rotation of the shoulder joint, extension of the elbow joint, and pronation of the radio-ulnar joint seemed to contribute to produce great velocities of the racket head, because the three rotations occurred over the greatest range in the shortest time in the six rotations immediately before contact with the shuttle. Preliminary to the three motions were motions in the opposite direction: external rotation of the shoulder, flexion of the elbow, and supination of the forearm were detected. These motions in the opposite direction would be useful to extend the range of the motion in each joint angle. The results also appeared to be related to intrinsic muscle properties, that greater power can be exerted by the stretching-shortening cycle of the muscles. The time of the last joint rotation starting immediately before contact was in the order of decreasing inertia. Times required for the rotation until contact became shorter in order of occurrence. The faster the rotation was, the later it occurred, and the shorter was the rotation time. This kind of chain and continuous movement of different joints, and different freedom with the same joint, may accelerate the racket head efficiently. The averages of elbow angle and racket angle (the angle between the forearm and racket shaft) were 160.0°and 147.0°at contact, respectively the values may be the suitable choices between the contact height and contact speed in practical play.

Grasp synthesis for upper-extremity FNS

Functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) has been used in upper extremity neuroprostheses to provide grasp and release for quadriplegic individuals. The goal of this project was to determine the electrode/muscle input/output characteristics with the greatest influence on the grasp output. This was evaluated by simulating the grasp synthesis procedure, using a model of the electrode/muscle output as a function of stimulus level and joint angle. The parameters of this model were determined from experimental data from 112 electrodes. The grasp output for 500 different modelled pairs of electrodes were analysed, with each pair consisting of a thumb flexor and a thumb extensor. The simulation results indicate that the most influential electrode input/output characteristics are the output stiffness, defined as the change in force output for a unit change in joint angle at a constant level of stimulation, and the length dependency mean-squared error. Recruitment gain was found to be of secondary influence on the grasp output, and the threshold, force direction and non-linearity of the stimulus level to force relationship were found to have little influence on the grasp output. These results establish criteria for electrode selection and implantation for use in upper extremity FNS.

Three methods for measuring range of motion while wearing protective clothing: A comparative study

This paper evaluates three methods for objectively measuring ROM while workers are wearing protective clothing: a universal goniometer, a Leighton Flexometer, and an electrogoniometer. Ten male subjects performed a set of nine gross body movements while semi-nude and while wearing each of nine configurations of coveralls. Coveralls varied in relative size and fabric weight. Changes in joint angles were measured simultaneously with the goniometer and the electrogoniometer, and then simultaneously with the Flexometer and the electrogoniometer. The goniometer and Flexometer data were positively correlated across garment treatments, but the electrogoniometer data were not highly correlated with either the goniometer or Flexometer data. Precision was similar between the goniometer and Flexometer, but the goniometer was found to be much less invasive than the Flexometer.

Factors affecting blood pressure during heavy weight lifting and static contractions.

Brachial arterial pressure was directly recorded in 31 healthy male volunteers through protocols examining the effects of the Valsalva maneuver, muscle size and strength, contraction force, contraction type (concentric, isometric, eccentric), changes in joint angle, and muscle fatigue on the blood pressure response to resistance exercise. Weight lifting at the same relative intensity produced similar increases in blood pressure, regardless of individual differences in muscle size or strength. Concentric, isometric, or eccentric exercise at the same relative intensity caused similar increases despite differences in force production. In weight lifting, the greatest increase in blood pressure occurred at the joint angle corresponding to the weakest point in the strength curve and the least at the angle corresponding to the strongest point. Isometric contractions of the same relative intensity at different joint angles produced identical blood pressures despite differences in absolute force production. When subjects attempted to maintain a maximum isometric contraction for 45 s, the blood pressure increase remained the same despite a marked diminution in force. Thus the magnitude of the blood pressure response depends on the degree of effort or central command and not actual force production. A brief Valsalva maneuver, which exaggerates the increase in blood pressure, is unavoidable when desired force production exceeds approximately 80% maximum voluntary contraction.

Characteristics of dynamic postural reactions in the locust hindleg.

The use of the locust (Schistocerca americana) hindleg in postural control was examined in animals that stood on a repeatedly swayed vertical substrate. Myograms were recorded from leg muscles and the angle of the femoro-tibial joint was monitored photographically. Two discrete strategies were observed; in compensatory reactions the hindleg was held in place, while in "flexion" reactions, the leg was moved, most often to complete flexion of the femoro-tibial joint. Tightly coupled, rhythmic bursting occurred in the flexor and levator muscles of the leg during compensatory reactions. Bursting was initiated repeatedly when the substrate was being pulled away from the animal. Bursting was correlated with subsequent decreases in the rate of change of the femoro-tibial joint angle. Compensatory and "flexion" reactions occurred preferentially in different ranges of joint angles: most often, compensatory reactions occurred in the mid-range, while "flexion" reactions were elicited in the extremes of joint angle. These differences may be due to the mechanical advantages of the tibial muscles and the leg may be moved to full flexion because of a locking mechanism of the flexor muscle tendon. These reactions are compared with known reflexes of hindleg proprioceptors and contrasted with similar responses of vertebrates.

Visual control of robotic manipulator based on neural networks

A control scheme for a robotic manipulator system that uses visual information to position and orient the end-effector is described. The control system directly integrates visual data into the servoing process without subdividing the process into determination of the position and orientation of the workplace and inverse kinematic calculation. The feature of the control scheme is the use of neural networks for the determination of the change in joint angles required in order to achieve the desired position and orientation. The proposed system is able to control the robot so that it can approach the desired position and orientation from arbitrary initial ones. Simulations for a robotic manipulator with six degrees of freedom are described. The validity and the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme are verified by computer simulations.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Electromyographic studies of neck muscles in the intact cat. I. Patterns of recruitment underlying posture and movement during natural behaviors.

Natural head movements in alert, unrestrained cats were studied using video-filming, videofluoroscopy and electromyographic (EMG) recording methods. In each cat, up to sixteen neck muscles or neck-muscle compartments were implanted with recording electrodes. Patterns of muscle recruitment were examined during systematically-selected behavioral epochs in which the cat held a range of stationary postures, and when it performed volitional and exploratory behaviors such as flexion-extension or turning, grooming, eating, or headshaking. Patterns of muscular activity were interpreted with reference to simultaneous video images of head and neck movements. In separate, videofluoroscopic analysis, flexion-extension movements were examined to gain insight into the underlying movements of the skull and cervical vertebrae. These and other movements were found commonly to depend upon changes in joint angles between lower as well as upper cervical joints. Stationary postures in which the neck was held vertically were consistently associated with tonic EMG activity in only two long dorsal muscles, biventer cervicis and occipitoscapularis. Less consistent activity was also present in dorsal intervertebral muscles crossing lower cervical joints. When the neck was held horizontally, the long dorsal muscles increased their EMG activity and moderate activity was also recorded in deeper intervertebral and suboccipital muscles. When flexion-extension occurred around upper cervical joints, greatest activity was recorded in rectus capitis posterior and complexus, but when it involved the lower cervical joints, large changes in EMG activity could also be detected in biventer cervicis, occipitoscapularis, and the intervertebral muscles crossing lower cervical joints. During specialized, sagittal-plane movements such as grooming, well-defined patterns of synergy could be recognized that varied according to the degree of involvement of upper and lower cervical joint-sets. Movements in the horizontal plane were associated with EMG activity in a largely different subset of neck muscles including splenius, longissimus capitis and obliquus capitis inferior. The levels of EMG activity during flexion-extension or turning movements were much lower than those observed during other more vigorous behaviors, such as head shaking. Some neck muscles, such as clavotrapezius and sternomastoideus, could only be recruited during forceful or ballistic head movements. Results showed that the patterns of muscular activation were linked not only to the speed and trajectory of the movements of the skull, but also to the kinematics of the motion occurring across different parts of the cervical column.

Visual Control of Robotic Manipulator Based on Artificial Neural Network

This paper describes a control scheme for a robotic manipulator system which uses visual information to position and orientate the end-effector. In the scheme the position and the orientation of the target workpiece with respect to the base frame of the robot are assumed to be unknown, but the desired relative position and orientation of the end-effector to the target workpiece are given in advance. The control system directly integrates visual data into the servoing process without subdividing the process into determination of the position, orientation of the workpiece and inverse kinematic calculation. An artificial neural network system is used for determining the change in joint angles required in order to achieve the desired position and orientaion. The proposed system can control the robot so that it approach the desired position and orientaion from arbitary initial ones. Simulation for the robotic manipulator with six degrees of freedom is done. The validity and the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme are varified by computer simulations.

Microcomputer-based system for clinical gait studies

A microcomputer-based gait recording system is described which can be used to analyse gait routinely in the clinical environment. Foot-ground reaction forces are acquired and processed and the resultant force vector is superimposed on the television image of the subject in real time. A TV-computer interface quantifies the position of reflective markers attached to the joint centres of the lower limb, and moment values, stick-figure diagrams, and joint angle changes can also be displayed shortly after data collection. The system has routine clinical applications in orthotics and prosthetics and is also a valuable tool in teaching the biomechanics of human movement.

Vibration arthrometry in assessment of knee disorders: the problem of angular velocity

A knee joint that has sustained a painful injury will typically require skillful examination, by an orthopaedic surgeon, for signs of internal damage. These signs include characteristic sounds and vibrations, which are produced by the knee when it is stressed. The technique of vibration arthrometry is being developed to assist the clinical examiner in identifying these vibrations and to improve diagnostic accuracy. To detect and record the knee vibrations, small lightweight accelerometers are positioned on various bony prominences around the knee. These produce electronic signals which permit objective analysis of the vibration characteristics. It has been found that varying the investigative procedure can affect the magnitude of some parameters of the vibration signal. If these parameters are to be used in evidence of knee pathology, the effect of the investigative procedure must be normalized. The effect of speed of joint movement has been quantified in a pilot study involving 24 patients with internal knee damage. Custom-designed hardware was used to measure joint speed as the rate of change of joint angle, which was measured by an electrogoniometer. It was found that the energy content of the vibration, reflected by the peak amplitude and root mean square value was strongly affected by joint speed. However, the characteristic shape of the vibration, reflected by the peak frequency in the harmonic spectrum of the signal, remained similar for the range of joint speed in the investigation.

Perceptual responses to microstimulation of single afferents innervating joints, muscles and skin of the human hand.

1. Microneurographic techniques were used to isolate single afferent axons within cutaneous and motor fascicles of the median and ulnar nerves at the wrist in thirteen subjects. Of the sixty-five identified afferents, eleven innervated the interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints, sixteen innervated muscle spindles, three innervated Golgi tendon organs and thirty-five supplied the glabrous skin of the hand. 2. Intrafascicular stimulation through the recording microelectrode, using trains of constant-voltage positive pulses (0.3-0.8 V, 0.1-0.2 ms, 1-100 Hz) or constant-current biphasic pulses (0.4-13.0 microA, 0.2 ms, 1-100 Hz), evoked specific sensations from sites associated with some afferent species but not others. 3. Microstimulation of eight of the eleven joint afferent sites (73%) evoked specific sensations. With four, subjects reported innocuous deep sensations referred to the relevant joint. With the other four, the subjects reported a sensation of joint displacement that partially reflected the responsiveness of the afferents to joint rotation. 4. Microstimulation of fourteen of the sixteen muscle spindle afferent sites (88%) generated no perceptions when the stimuli did not produce overt movement. However, subjects could correctly detect the slight movements generated when the stimuli excited the motor axons to the parent muscle. 5. With seven of the nine rapidly adapting (type RA or FAI) cutaneous afferents (88%) microstimulation evoked sensations of 'flutter-vibration', and with two of eight slowly adapting (type SAI) afferents (25%) it evoked sensations of 'sustained pressure'. Of the eighteen SAII afferents, which were classified as such by their responses to planar skin stretch, the majority (83%) generated no perceptions, confirming previous work, but three evoked sensations of movements or pressure. 6. The present results suggest a relatively secure transmission of joint afferent traffic to perceptual levels, and it is concluded that the human brain may be able to synthesize meaningful information on joint displacement on the basis of impulses in a single joint afferent. This could partly compensate for the low responsiveness of individual joint afferents within the physiological range of joint displacements. Although single muscle spindle afferents can adequately encode joint position and movement, the results suggest that the brain needs the information from more than one muscle spindle afferent to perceive changes in joint angle.

Parietal area 5 neuronal activity encodes movement kinematics, not movement dynamics

A previous study reported that proximal-arm related area 5 neurons showed continuously-graded changes in activity during unloaded arm movements in different directions (Kalaska et al. 1983), which resembled the responses of primary motor cortex cells in several respects (Georgopoulos et al. 1982). We report here that loading the arm reveals an important difference between cell activity in the two areas. Loads were continuously applied to the arm in different directions. The loads produced large continuously-graded changes in muscle activity but did not alter the handpath or joint angle changes of the arm during the movements. The activity of most area 5 cells was only weakly affected by the loads, and the overall pattern of population activity was virtually unaltered under all load conditions. This indicates that area 5 activity encodes the invariant spatial parameters (kinematics) of the movements. In contrast, many motor cortex cells showed large changes in activity during loading, and so signal the changing forces, torques or muscle activity (movement dynamics; Kalaska et al. 1989).

視覚情報によるマニピュレータの位置・姿勢制御 ニューラルネットワークの利用

This paper describes a control scheme for a robotic manipulator system which uses visual information to position and orientate the end-effector. In the scheme the position and the orientation of the target workpiece with respect to the base frame of the robot are assumed to be unknown, but the desired relative position and orientation of the end-effector to the target workpiece are given in advance. The control system directly integrates visual data into the servoing process without subdi-viding the process into determination of the position and orientation of the workpiece and inverse kinematic calculation. An artificial neural network system is used for determining the change in joint angles required in order to achieve the desired position and orientation. The proposed system can control the robot so that it approach the desired position and orientation from arbitrary initial ones. Simulation for the robotic manipulator with six degrees of freedom is done. The validity and the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme are verified by computer simulations.

Changes in Limb Striking Pattern: Effects of Speed and Accuracy

This study investigated the changes in an arm striking pattern as a result of practice and the effects of speed and accuracy requirements on such changes. The task was to strike a baseball-size foam ball from a batting tee adjusted to the height of each subject's iliac crest. Ten righthanded subjects, initially displaying an inefficient striking pattern, volunteered for this study. All subjects performed the task according to the following conditions: (1) speed, (2) accuracy, and (3) speed and accuracy. Each subject completed 10 trials in each condition (randomly ordered) for five consecutive days. A high-speed camera (64 fps) was used to photograph subjects' striking patterns for each condition over the 5-day period. Analysis of variance of joint angles at arm reversal and contact and velocity of hand relative to the glenohumeral axis at contact revealed that subjects initially constrained limb segments to act in a unitary fashion; then, with practice, a more efficient pattern was developed. The requirement of speed was found to enhance a change in limb configuration, whereas the requirement of accuracy, and subsequent reduction in speed, impeded the development of a more efficient striking pattern. Analysis of radial error revealed no differences in accuracies to the target by either condition or day of practice. A graphic analysis of segmental angular momentum versus relative time showed that joint angle changes allowed subjects to transfer angular momentum and thereby increase the velocity of the hand at contact.

Simulation of bipedal walking by a model having zero moment joints. (1st report. Proposal of model based on test of normal walking characteristics).

Characteristics of a bipedal walking model consisting if eight rigid elements were simulated for a wide range of walking speeds. The simulation results are similar to experimental findings reported by other researchers in the following : changes of joint angles in the leg with respect to time : changes of magnitudes of floor reaction with respect to walking speed. Controllability of the body motion in the transient phase of walking, starting and stopping, is shown by the rank of Jacobian relating the body velocity with input velocities at joints. The dynamic equation is expressed by the spatial vector method, in other words, the screw coordinates, then a zero moment joint condition is formulated to simulate an abnormal walk. The resulting equations are easily modified to apply to general cases by adding appropriate terms.

Changes in length of human rectus femoris muscle fibers as a function of changes in knee joint angle

Changes in length of human rectus femoris muscle fibers as a function of changes in knee joint angle