Biomechanics of Lower Limb during the Golf Swing Using Opensim Modeling

The purpose of this research is to investigate the biomechanics of the lower-limb using an inverse dynamics model. Experimental data, recorded by an integrated Motion Analysis – Force Plate System in the UTRGV Biomechanics Laboratory, is used to determine ground reaction forces and marker trajectories. OpenSim, a graphical musculoskeletal and computational platform, is used to model the body in three dimensions. The human body is modeled as a 12-segment linkage, consisting of 23 degrees-of-freedom and 92 muscles. The experimental data for the Biomechanics Laboratory is imported in OpenSim. Then, joint angles, generalized coordinates & accelerations of lower-limb segments, muscle forces, joint torques, and reaction loads are determined using an inverse dynamics based approach. The motion under investigation is the golf swing. The model also investigates gait. Comparisons of the results with data reported in the literature are presented. Discussions on the novelty, applications, and limitations are also reported