Mechanography is a diagnostic method used in medicine to measure and analyze human movement and muscle function. It quantifies physical parameters like force, velocity, and power output during everyday movements such as jumping or rising from a chair. This method provides insights into an individual’s physical capabilities. It also helps understand how muscles influence bone growth, a relationship explored further by combining mechanography with bone density measurements.
Measuring Movement and Force
Mechanography measures ground reaction forces, which are the forces exerted by the ground on a body in contact with it. Force plates, equipped with sensors, record how these forces vary as a person performs movements. For example, during a jump, the force plate registers changes in force as the individual pushes off and lands.
The data collected allows for the calculation of various physical parameters. These include relative maximum forces, velocity, power output, kinetic energy, potential energy, and jump height. Systems also track the Center of Force (CoF) or Center of Pressure (CoP), indicating pressure distribution on the plate. This information quantifies muscle function during movements like walking, jumping, or standing up from a seated position.
Understanding Bone and Muscle Strength
Mechanography is a tool for assessing bone and muscle health. It measures muscle power and peak force, providing insights into the functional relationship between muscle and bone. This connection is relevant for conditions like osteoporosis, characterized by weakened bones, and sarcopenia, where bone and muscle health are compromised.
For osteoporosis, mechanography helps evaluate how muscle function influences bone growth and density. While bone mineral density (BMD) scans provide information on bone mass, mechanography offers dynamic measurements of mechanical loads that stimulate bone, a significant factor in bone strength. Stronger muscles generate greater forces on bones during movement, contributing to better bone density and overall bone strength.
Mechanography also evaluates sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and function. It assesses muscle power and force during movements like vertical countermovement jumps and chair-rising tests. These measurements are more indicative of functional decline than just muscle mass, as muscle power tends to decrease earlier and more significantly with age. Evaluating muscle power with mechanography can help identify individuals at risk for sarcopenia and related functional impairments, supporting timely interventions.
Analyzing Balance and Movement
Mechanography analyzes balance, gait, and overall movement patterns. It quantitatively assesses aspects such as equilibrium, coordination, and proprioception, which are components of neuromotor function. This allows for a more precise analysis of body sway.
The technology is particularly useful in assessing fall risk, especially in older adults. Parameters like postural sway, measured as variations in the Center of Force (CoF) or Center of Pressure (CoP), provide insights into an individual’s stability. Mechanography can identify individuals at a higher risk of falling.
It also aids in evaluating rehabilitation progress and optimizing athletic performance. By measuring force, power, and velocity during activities like stair ascent and descent, it offers objective data on lower extremity muscle function. This feedback can guide rehabilitation programs and help athletes refine their movements for improved efficiency and reduced injury risk.
What Mechanography Reveals
Mechanography provides understanding of an individual’s physical capabilities by translating measurements into actionable data. It reveals specific parameters such as relative maximum forces, velocity, and power output during dynamic movements. This data quantifies muscle function and identifies potential deficiencies. The insights help healthcare professionals assess risks, such as the likelihood of falls in older adults, by analyzing balance and postural control. The measurements also provide objective markers for monitoring progress in rehabilitation or training programs. By comparing individual results to reference values for age and gender, clinicians can determine an individual’s physical fitness relative to a healthy population, guiding personalized interventions.