EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance

Course Syllabus

Course Number & Title: SPMD 305 Kinesiology/Tissue Biomechanics
Objectives
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will:
    1. Identify and describe the reference positions, planes and axes associated with the human body.
    2. Provide examples of linear, rotary and general forms of motion.
    3. Construct free body diagrams for elementary force analyses.
    4. Distinguish between vector and scalar quantities and solve quantitative problems involving
        vector quantities.
    5. Describe the structure, composition and mechanical behavior of the following tissues:
        a. bone
        b. cartilage
        c. tendons and ligaments
        e. muscles
    6. Define the following terms:
        a. stress
        b. strain
        c. load-deformation curve
        d. stress-strain curve
        e. fatigue curve
        f. viscoelasticity
        g. material fatique and failure
        h. modeling techniques
    7. Identify and describe the following types of mechanical loads that act on human tissues:
         Compression,
         Tension and
         Shear
    8.   Explain how the material constituents and structural organization of bone affect its ability
          to withstand the mechanical loads to which it is subjected.
    9.   Describe the effects of exercise and weightlessness on bone.
    10. Identify the basic behavioral properties of muscle tissue and explain why muscle may
          shorten, lengthen or remain the same while producing tension.
    11. Describe the characteristics of the categories of joints based on structure and movement
           capabilities.
    12. Explain the ways in which anatomical structure affects the movement capabilities of the
            joints in the body.
    13. Identify the factors that determine the relative mobility of the various body joints.
    14. Describe the biomechanical contributors to common joint injury.
    15. Define the following mechanical terms:
        a. kinematics
        b. kinetics
        c. velocity
        d. acceleration
        e. momentum
        f. center of mass
        g. pressure
        h. torque
        i. moment arm
        j. work
        k. power
        l. joint lever systems
Tentative Class Schedule


Jan 9 Introduction Chapter 1
Jan 11 Biomechanical Concepts
Kinematics Kinetics: Force
Vectors		 Chapter 3: Pages 41-46
Jan 16 Worksheet 2
Torque		  Chapter 3: Pages 48-52
Jan 18 Moment of inertia
Newton		 Chapter 3: Pages 53-54
Jan 23 Momentum, work, power  Chapter 3: 55-60
Jan 25 Center of Mass
Cof Mass Labs
Jan 30 Fluid Mechanics
Joint Mechanics		 Pages 60-76
Feb 1 Worksheet 3
Material Mechanics		  Pages 76-78
Feb 6 Viscoelasticity  Pages 78-84
Feb 8 Modeling
Feb 13 Exam 1: Chapters 1,3 Chapter 2: 15-20
Feb 15 Biological Tissue  Chap 2:21-26; Chap 4:87-100
Feb 20 Bone Chap 2:26-30, Chap 4: 100-103
Feb 22 Cartilage Chap 2:30-33; Chap 4:103 -105
Feb 27 Tendons & Ligaments  Chap 2:33-37; Chap 4: 105-111
Mar 1 Muscle
Mar 6 & 8 Winter Recess  
Mar 20 Exam 2: Chapters 2, 4, Chapter 5
Mar 22 Mechanisms of Injury
Mar 27 Hip Worksheet Chapter 6
Mar 29 Knee worksheet
April 3 Ankle worksheet
April 5  Shoulder worksheet  Chapter 7
April 10 Elbow worksheet  
April 12 Wrist and Hand
April 17 Spine  Chapter 8
April 19 Review
Nov 6 Lower Extremity - Hip  
Nov 8 Hip Worksheet  
Nov 10 Lower Extremity - Knee  
Nov 13 Knee Worksheet  
Nov 15 Lower Extremity – Ankle  
Nov 17 Ankle Worksheet  
Nov 20 Foot  
Nov 22 Upper Extremity Chapter 7
Nov 28 Upper Extremity – Shoulder  
Nov 30 Shoulder worksheet  
Dec 1 Upper Extremity – Elbow  
Dec 4 Elbow worksheet  
Dec 6 Wrist and Hand  
Dec 8 Wrist & Hand  
Dec 11 Head, neck & Trunk Chapter 8
April 26 Final 1:00  

Prerequisites: SPMD 200 Anatomy & Physiology
PHY 221 Mechanics, Heat and Sound
2.7 GPA

Required Textbook: Whiting, C. & Zernicke, R. (1998) Biomechanics of Musculoskeletal Injury. Champaign: Human Kinetics.

Method of Evaluation:
3 exams @100 300 points
Worksheets and written work @ 10 100 points
Pop Quizzes (Best 5) @ 10 50 points

Grading Scale
416 - 450 A
405 - 417 A-
391 - 404 B+
373 - 390 B
360 - 372 B-
346 - 359 C+
328 - 347 C
315 - 327 C-
301- 314 D+
283 - 300 D
270 - 282 D-

Instructor: W. Witten

Office Hours: T Th 9:00-10:00; 11:30 – 1:00; M 2:00 –5:00
or by appointment
Office No: 319U Porter
Phone: 487-7120, ext 2727
email:wawitten@hotmail.com

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