Human Knee Joint Kinematics & Gait Pendulum

Biomedical Engineering

How It Works

Human lower-limb locomotion in the swing phase of walking is modeled as an interconnected double compound pendulum. The hip and knee joint articulations exchange kinetic and gravitational potential energy through coordinated muscular torques and passive ligamentous constraints. Natural gait cadence minimizes metabolic muscle expenditure through ballistic ballistic pendular transfer.

Governing Equation
I_thigh · θ̈₁ + m₁ · g · L₁ · sin θ₁ = τ_hip , I_shank · θ̈₂ + m₂ · g · L₂ · sin θ₂ = τ_knee