What is a Clinical Kinesiologist or Biomechanist?

Biomechanist and Biomedical Engineers are research scientists working primarily in the medical and/or university settings. Biomechanist apply the laws of physics and mathematics to normal and pathological mammalian movement with the main objective to describe the motion. They investigate the forces produced by the Musculoskeletal system to create this motion or absorb the external forces related to the motion and how physiologic systems adapt to interact with the environment. Biomechanist combine their knowledge of the motion with their knowledge of mammalian anatomy and physiology to identify injury mechanisms, performance adaptations and possible ways to rehabilitate injured individuals (or animals) and bring them back to normal or enhanced performance.

The terms Biomedical Engineer and Biomechanist are often used interchangeably. However, Biomedical Engineers, in addition to working with individuals or organisms may also work to understand a machine’s function or create a machine or computer simulation that is capable of performing motions observed in nature.
In many ways, Biomechanist are like physicians. Physicians make clinically meaningful measurements (X-ray, temperature, etc·) to help make a diagnosis. Biomechanist make measurements in different ways in an attempt to quantitatively understand the properties of a biological system. By working together in the orthopedic setting, Biomechanist and biomedical engineers of the Foundation and physicians of the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic come to better understandings of how to diagnose, treat and enhance the quality of life through research and collaborative efforts.

Types of Equipment used by Biomechanist

In the laboratory, Biomechanist conduct research using high-speed video motion measurement systems, electromyography (EMG), and various transducers that can measure forces. The high-speed video is used to quantify the movement in terms of joint and limb motions. The EMG is used to measure muscle electrical activity and helps us to understand which muscles are responsible for the movement and how they work in association with other muscles to produce a smooth motion. Force transducers measure the external loading the body must accommodate during a motion; like when the foot strikes the ground during sprinting. Putting all the information from these measurement systems together gives us a comprehensive profile of how the motion is being performed and whether it is efficient or abnormal or could be improved. From this point, we may use this information to create computer simulations of the motion. In computer simulation studies, the human body is visualized as a multiple-link system of rigid bodies whose motions are controlled by hundreds of nonlinear actuators (muscles) acting in a coordinated fashion. Once a computer simulation is generated and its effectiveness validated, we may then simulate various scenarios such as different surgical techniques and describe what effect this may have on various structures in the joint.

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