ME6114 – JOINT BIOMECHANICS
End-semester examination [200 marks]
18th April, 2022 09:30-12:30 Hybrid mode (LA 001, MS Teams)
INSTRUCTIONS:
The paper is divided into three sets, two of which (Sets 1 and 3) have been further divided
into three categories (A, B, C) each. Each of these three categories are similar to each other
in terms of the types of questions, and marks allotted to each question type.
Before you start solving Sets 1 and 3, you need to prioritise the categories based on your
interest, understanding, forte, etc. You will receive MULTIPLIER BOOSTS according to your
order of priority – the first priority will receive a 3x boost (triple the marks), while the second
priority will receive a 2x boost (double the marks). Here’s an example…
Let us assume your order of priority for Set 1 is C-A-B. This would mean that although each
category is allotted 10 marks to begin with, Category 1C would now be 30 marks, Category 1A
20 marks, and Category 1B 10 marks. Thus, the total marks for Set 1 would be 60 marks. Now,
assuming you score 9/10 in Category 1A, 5/10 in Category 1B and 8/10 in Category 1C, your
final marks for Set 1 would be 47/60.
MARKS FINAL TOTAL
CATEGORY PRIORITY BOOST
(out of 10) MARKS (out of 60)
A 9 Second 2x 18
B 5 Third - 5 47
C 8 First 3x 24
CLEARLY MENTION YOUR ORDER OF PRIORITY FOR SETS 1 & 3 IN YOUR ANSWER SHEET.
Failure to do so will result in consideration of a default order A-B-C to apply multiplier boosts.
PLEASE NOTE: Some questions have a specified description and/or a limit on text mentioned
in curly brackets {}. Please strictly adhere to these. You will lose all marks for the question if
you deviate from the specified description or exceed the limit.
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SET 1: Tissue biomechanics
[TOTAL: 60 marks]
Category 1A: BONES and LIGAMENTS [10 marks]
Q1A.1: Select keywords from the following list to label the diagram below. [5 marks]
Articular cartilage, cortical bone, endosteum, epiphyseal lines, epiphysis, diaphysis,
intramedullary canal, periosteum, trabecular bone {NO repetition}
ANSWER: (i) epiphysis, (ii) epiphyseal line, (iii) diaphysis, (iv) cortical bone OR periosteum, (v)
trabecular bone [1 mark each]
Q1A.2: Name and explain {diagram and max 2 sentences} ONE engineering model replicating
mechanical properties of ligaments. [5 marks]
ANSWER: Maxwell model OR Kelvin-Voigt model OR Burgers model [1 mark for the name, 2
marks for the diagram, 2 marks for the description including how spring and damper
contribute to modelling viscoelasticity, and replication of creep and/or stress relaxation]
2
Category 1B: CARTILAGE and SYNOVIAL FLUID [10 marks]
Q1B.1: Select keywords from the following list to label the diagram below. [5 marks]
Chondrocytes, collagen, deep layer, proteoglycan, superficial layer, subchondral bone,
transitional layer, trabecular bone, tidemark {NO repetition}
ANSWER: (i) superficial layer, (ii) transitional layer, (iii) tidemark, (iv) chondrocytes, (v)
trabecular bone [1 mark each]
Q1B.2: What is surface separation {equation and max 1 sentence}?
Name and explain {max 1 sentence} ONE type of surface-separation-based model depicting
lubrication for a low-load high-velocity situation [5 marks]
ANSWER: Ratio of the thickness of the film between two interacting surfaces (t f) and the
average roughness (Ra) of the two surfaces. [1 mark]
λ = tf / (Ra1 + Ra2) [1 mark]
Hydrodynamic lubrication OR Squeeze-film lubrication [2 marks for the name, 1 mark for the
description of direction of motion and/or mentioning λ>3]
NOTE: If you have written Fluid-film lubrication, you get 1 mark for the name, instead of 2
Category 1C: MUSCLE and TENDON [10 marks]
Q1C.1: Select keywords from the following list to label the diagram below. [5 marks]
Endomysium, epimysium, fascicle, muscle fibre, myofibril, myofilament, perimysium, tendon
{NO repetition}
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ANSWER: (i) tendon, (ii) epimysium, (iii) fascicle, (iv) muscle fibre, (v) myofibril [1 mark each]
Q1C.2: Name and explain {diagram and max 2 sentences} ONE engineering model replicating
mechanical properties of the muscle-tendon unit. [5 marks]
ANSWER: Any one of the Hill’s muscle models [1 mark for the name, 2 marks for the diagram,
2 marks for the description including the three elements of the model – CE, PEE, SEE – and
what these represent in terms of various tissues in a muscle]
SET 2: Muscle biomechanics
[TOTAL: 50 marks]
Q2: Explain the following concepts using labelled visual representations, i.e. labelled
diagram(s) and/or graph(s) {you may use text to label/describe parts of the diagram/graph,
but NO standalone textual paragraph is permitted}.
A. Sliding filament theory [20 marks]
ANSWER: One diagram each for the 4 stages of the sliding filament theory – cocking, cross-
bridge formation, power stroke, release – comprising of the interaction between clearly
labelled actin and myosin filaments. [5 marks for each stage]
B. Force-length relationship [20 marks]
ANSWER: Graph showing muscle tension vs. sarcomere length with clearly labelled
representative images of actin-myosin combinations (sarcomeres) for each point of change
4
of slope [5 marks for the graph, 5 marks for correct sarcomere representations, 5 marks for
details on the axes]
Separate or combined graph showing total muscle tension as a combination of active and
passive components [5 marks]
C. Force-velocity relationship [10 marks]
ANSWER: Graph showing muscle force vs. contraction velocity with labelled sections and axes
[5 marks for the graph, 5 marks for correct labels and axes markings]
SET 3: Joint biomechanics
[TOTAL: 90 marks]
Category 3A: LOWER LIMB [15 marks]
Q3A.1: Mention the type of synovial joint, the number of degrees of freedom, and the
allowable motion(s) for the hip. [3 marks]
ANSWER: Ball-and-socket joint [1 mark]; 3 DOF [1 mark]; flexion-extension, abduction-
adduction, internal-external rotation [1 mark]
Q3A.2: Mention the independent and dependent motions in the knee. [2 marks]
ANSWER: Flexion-extension is the independent DOF [1 mark]; Internal-external rotation OR
screw-home mechanism are dependent on flexion-extension [1 mark]
Q3A.3: What can you say about these tissues just from their names? [2 marks]
A. Biceps femoris muscle
ANSWER: Two muscle bellies (biceps), located in femoral OR thigh region (femoris) [1 mark]
B. Iliofemoral ligament
ANSWER: Ligament connecting the ilium OR pelvis (ilio-) and femur (femoral), therefore at
the hip [1 mark]
5
Q3A.4: Fracture risk of femoral shaft in the elderly [8 marks]
After the group presentation on osteoporosis, you are really worried about your 80yr old
grandfather fracturing his femur. You take him to the radiologist for a coronal plane X-ray of
his lower limb, and estimate the diameter and cortical thickness of his femoral shaft to be
36mm and 6mm, respectively. Given that your grandfather (wt = 75kg) experiences a hip joint
reaction force of 3.5 times the body weight while climbing, will he fracture his femoral shaft?
ASSUMPTIONS: The hip joint reaction force acts on the femoral head at a distance of 6.5cm
from the anatomical axis of the femur, and is directed parallel to the anatomical axis; ultimate
tensile and compressive strength of cortical bone is 133MPa and 200MPa, respectively.
FORMULAE: Axial stress = F/A; Bending stress = M.ymax/IA; Area moment of inertia for a hollow
cylinder = π/4.(Ro4-Ri4).
HINT: Draw a diagram to understand how stresses would differ on medial and lateral aspects.
ANSWER: Correct FBD [2 marks]; axial stress (4.55 MPa) calculation [2 marks]; bending stress
(45.54 MPa) calculation [2 marks]; medial stress (50.09 MPa) and lateral stress (40.99 MPa)
calculation and comparison with corresponding ultimate strength [2 marks]
Category 3B: UPPER LIMB [15 marks]
Q3B.1: Mention the type of synovial joint, the number of degrees of freedom, and the
allowable motion(s) for the elbow. [3 marks]
ANSWER: Hinge joint and pivot joint [1 mark]; 2 DOF [1 mark]; flexion-extension, internal-
external rotation [1 mark]
Q3B.2: Mention the type of synovial joint for the wrist joint complex as a whole, and the
individual intercarpal articulations. [2 marks]
ANSWER: Condyloid joint as a whole [1 mark]; planar joints as individual articulations [1 mark]
Q3B.3: What can you say about this tissue just from its name? [2 marks]
A. Extensor carpi radialis longus muscle
ANSWER: Extensor of the wrist (carpus) located on the radial side (radialis), and longer of the
two muscles with the same name and/or function (longus) [2 marks]
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Q3B.4: Wrist flexion in fast bowlers [8 marks]
Fast bowlers in cricket, like Jasprit Bumrah, flex their wrist to generate additional pace when
they release the ball. Imagine you call Bumrah (ht = 180cm, wt = 80kg) to the biomechanics
lab, where you apply four EMG sensors on his forearm, one each for his four wrist muscles,
to track his muscle activation during ball release. You scout literature to find the physiological
cross-sectional areas (PCSA) of the muscles and their moment arms about the flexion-
extension (FE) axis.
MUSCLE ACTIVITY PCSA (cm2) MOM. ARM FE (mm)
Flexor carpi radialis (FCR) 76% 3.9 12
Flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) 83% 6.6 11
Extensor carpi radialis (ECR) 56% 5.2 8.5
Extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) 11% 2.3 4
ASSUMPTIONS: Each muscle is a fusiform muscle; specific muscle stress is 20N/cm2.
The combined weight of the Bumrah’s hand and the ball is 1kg, and radius of gyration about
the wrist joint is 11cm. If the muscle force generation initiates 100ms before ball release,
calculate the total wrist flexion.
ASSUMPTION: Gravitational forces are much smaller than the inertial forces.
FORMULAE: Muscle force = %act * Fmax; Maximum muscle force = σspecific * PCSA * θpenn.
HINT: Calculate moment generated by the muscles about the wrist, and use basic equations
of motion to find the wrist flexion angle.
ANSWER: FE moment (1.4 N.m) calculation [4 marks]; angular acceleration (107.7 rad/s2)
calculation [2 marks]; joint angle (0.54 rad; 30.85°) calculation [2 marks]
Category 3C: SPINE [15 marks]
Q3C.1: Mention the number of degrees of freedom and the motion(s) of the spine. [2 marks]
ANSWER: 3 DOF [1 mark]; flexion-extension, lateral bending to the left and right, axial
rotation to the left and right [1 mark]
Q3C.2: Mention the two types of joints for each intervertebral articulation and their locations
on the vertebra. [3 marks]
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ANSWER: Amphiarthrotic joints and planar synovial joints (facet joints) [1 mark];
amphiarthrotic articulations located between vertebral bodies of adjacent vertebrae [1
mark]; facet joints located in the transverse processes between adjacent vertebrae [1 mark]
Q3C.3: What can you say about these tissues just from their names? [2 marks]
A. Iliocostalis lumborum muscle
ANSWER: Muscle with attachments on ilium OR pelvis (ilio-) and the ribs (costa-), located in
the lumbar region (lumborum) [1 mark]
B. Interspinous ligament
ANSWER: Ligament located between (inter-) and connecting spinous processes of adjacent
vertebrae (spinous) [1 mark]
Q3C.4: Lifting heavy loads with a bent back vs. bent knees [8 marks]
Mathew (ht = 165cm, wt = 70kg) is trying to lift his 25kg check-in baggage kept 50cm in front
of him using both his hands. Calculate the total force on his lumbosacral vertebral joint (L5-
S1) while lifting the bag with the following stances – keeping his knees extended and flexing
his back by 20°, or flexing his knees and therefore only requiring 8° of back flexion.
ASSUMPTIONS: The angle between the longitudinal axis of the L5 vertebra and the vertical
direction is 17° plus the back flexion angle; the weight of the entire upper body is 0.6 times
the body weight acting at a distance of 0.3 times the body height from L5 measured along the
back; the only forces acting on the upper body are the weight of the bag when lifted, the
upper body weight, and the force of the erector spinae muscles with a moment arm of 6cm.
HINT: Draw a sagittal free body diagram of the upper body sectioned at the L5-S1 joint.
ANSWER: Correct FBD [2 marks]; equations and calculations for muscle forces in case 1
(4085.25 N) and case 2 (3476.75 N), axial forces in case 1 (4609.63 N) and case 2 (4071.83 N),
shear forces in case 1 (395.15 N) and case 2 (277.49 N) [4 marks]; total force in case 1 (4626.54
N) and case 2 (4081.27 N) [2 marks]
I am sure you will do well!
