Musculoskeletal Models

Just as interactive graphics have enhanced engineering analysis and design, we have found that graphics-based musculoskeletal models are effective tools for visualizing human movement, analyzing the functional capacity of muscles, and designing improved surgical procedures. We have created computer models of many different musculoskeletal structures. Researchers from many other labs have also developed models in OpenSim and SIMM.

1 OpenSim Models
2 SIMM Models
3 SimTK Model Library

OpenSim Models

SIMM Models

	Upper Extremity Model Fifteen degree-of-freedom model of the human upper extremity that has the strength of a young, adult male and includes the lines of action and parameters of fifty muscle-tendon actuators. The model includes the kinematics of the shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, thumb, and forefinger.

	Lower Extremity Model Seven degree-of-freedom model of the human lower extremity that has the strength of a young, adult male and includes the lines of action and parameters of forty-three muscles. The model includes the kinematics of the hip, knee, ankle, subtalar, and proximal metatarsal joints.

	Deformable Lower Extremity Model Four degree-of-freedom model of the human lower extremity with a "deformable" femur that characterizes the geometry of the pelvis, femur, and proximal tibia, the kinematics of the hip and tibiofemoral joints, and the paths of the medial hamstrings, iliopsoas, and adductor muscles for an average-sized adult male.

	MR-Based Lower Extremity Models Four degree-of-freedom models of three lower extremity cadaveric specimens and four subjects with cerebral palsy that were created from MR images. The models characterize the geometry of the pelvis, femur, and proximal tibia, the kinematics of the hip and tibiofemoral joints, and the paths of the hamstrings, iliopsoas, and adductor muscles.

	Human Neck Model Three degree-of-freedom model of the human neck. The model characterizes the moment arms, force- and moment-generating capacities of nineteen muscles over physiological ranges of neck flexion, extension, axial rotation and lateral bending.

	Cat Neck Model Model of the cat neck that characterizes the sagittal-plane kinematics at the skull-C1, and between each of the cervical vertebrae and includes five muscle-tendon actuators. This model was used together with experimental data to study the control of head movement.

	Tyrannosaurus Rex Model Ten degree-of-freedom model of the tyrannosaurus rex lower extremity. The model includes the kinematics of the hip, knee, ankle, and metatarsophalangeal joints and thirty-three muscle-tendon actuators.

SimTK Model Library

See the Neuromuscular Model Library on SimTK.org for even more models developed at research labs around the world.