Date of Award

2007

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Department

Kinesiology

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to: (i) determine the acceleration response of the forearm at the wrist and elbow; (ii) determine the efficacy of wrist guards by measuring the impact outcome at the wrist and elbow, and; (iii) determine the effects of muscle activation and elbow angles on the wrist and elbow acceleration characteristics. A seated human pendulum was designed to simulate a forward fall and produce an impact to the hands of 28 subjects. Two surface accelerometers measured the wrist and elbow acceleration characteristics in response to four muscle activation levels two elbow angles and a wrist guard. The results suggest that wrist guards are capable of absorbing or redirecting the initial impact force. Furthermore, the increase in muscle activation level and the natural elbow angle, disabled the segments ability to attenuate the shock wave initiated at the hand as measured by the acceleration response at the elbow.

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