Course: Biomechanics

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Course title Biomechanics
Course code KEF/BIOM
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Exercise
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study 2
Semester Summer
Number of ECTS credits 4
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Švec Jan, prof. RNDr. Ph.D. et Ph.D.
Course content
- Fundaments of biomechanics, body segmentation, methods of determining mass and length of body segments, interpretation of possible deviations - standard deviation and confidence interval - Centre of gravity (COG) in biomechanics, COG of body segments, methods for determining COG in human body and segments, moments of inertia of human body and segments and their determination - Postural stability and balance: 3 types of static ekvilibrium, area of contact, base of support, center of pressure, static balance in humans, balance control and its assessment - Human anatomy: basic anatom. position, main planes and axes, directions on limbs and trunk, human skeleton, spine structure and scoliosis - Typical mech. properties of biological tissues: viscoelasticity, viscoelasticity, non-homogenity, anisotropy, adaptability. Stress-strain relationship (Hooke's law, elasticity modulus, yield point, rupture point). Elastic and plastic deformation - Bones: structure, influence of external environment (Wolff's law), fatigue-caused fractures, stress-strain relationship, aging, bone densitometry, osteoporosis, Z-score and T-score in bone densitometry - Tendons and ligaments: elastin and collagen fibers and their deformation, 2 effects as consequences of viscoelasticity - stress relaxation and creep - Cartilages: their 3 types, their function, structure and properties, stress relaxation and creep, discs and menisci and their function - Joints: joint types, synovial joint, synovial fluid, arthritis, movements in joints: rotation and translation, abduction vs. adduction, flexion vs. extension. - Muscular system in humans, 3 muscle types, muscle redundancy, structure of striated muscle, muscle contraction, motor unit, twitch and tetanus - Types of muscle fibers (motor units), 2 basic mechanisms for increasing muscle tension, combination of spatial and temporal recruitment for increasing muscle tension (Henneman's size principle), basic types of muscle contraction (isometric, anisometric-concentric and excentric, isotonic), Hill's 3-element model of muscle - Neuron: their 3 types and their involvement in a reflex arc, neuron morphology, transmission of nerve action potential to muscle, extra- and intrafusal muscle fibers, mechanoreceptors and their feedback function (muscle spindles, their structure and function, the Golgi apparatus, other mechanoreceptors), patellar reflex - Anatomy and physical-acoustical scheme of vocal apparatus, vocal tract, laryngeal structure - Laryngeal muscles and their function, laryngeal innervation, cartillaginous and membranous glottis, vocal fold structure, elastic properties of the vocal folds, control of vocal fold vibrational frequency - Voice: types of sound (waveform and spectrum), fundamental period and fundamental frequency, waveform and spectrum of voice: frequencies of the harmonics versus tone height and voice timbre - Source-filter theory of voice production, vocal tract resonances formants, vowels, Hellwag's triangle - Theories of vocal fold vibration, measurement of subglottic and supraglottic pressures in vivo, experiments with excised larynges, mucosal waves, vibration modes of the vocal folds, vocal fold models - Basic methods for examination and analysis of voice: spectral analysis, sound spectrography, voice range profile, EGG, PGG, pneumotachography, max. phonation time - Laryngoscopic methods for voice examination, examples of laryngeal pathology, voice care - Hearing, hearing range, Fechner-Weber law, sound intensity level and sound pressure level, hearing threshold, hearing field, equal loudness contours, loudness levels phons - Anatomy and function of hearing apparatus: outer ear, middle ear, inner ear cochlea structure, organ of Corti, inner and outer hair cells - Place and temporal coding for hearing, active mechanism, activity of hair cells, otoacoustic emissions - Vestibular part of the inner ear: function and anatomy

Learning activities and teaching methods
Lecture
  • Homework for Teaching - 10 hours per semester
  • Attendace - 36 hours per semester
  • Preparation for the Exam - 24 hours per semester
Learning outcomes
Obtaining fundamental knowledge in the field of human biomechanics, including the biomechanics of voice and hearing, as well as introductory insights into sports biomechanics.
Knowledge Define the main ideas and conceptions of the subject, describe the main approaches of the studied topics, recall the theoretical knowledge for solution of model problems.
Prerequisites
unspecified

Assessment methods and criteria
Mark

- Passing the oral exam - Mandatory attendance at practical sessions - Completing assignments - Collecting at least 50% of the total points from the progress tests
Recommended literature
  • Selected journal publications.
  • Janura, M. (2003). Úvod do biomechaniky pohybového systému člověka. Olomouc.
  • Nordin, M., & Frankel, V. H. (2012). Basic biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system - 4th edition.
  • Švec, J. (1996). Studium mechanicko-akustických vlastností lidského hlasu. Olomouc.
  • Titze, I. R. (1994). Principles of voice production. Englewood Cliffs, NJ.


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