biology

Mechanography

Mechanography is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mechanography rather than just read about it. In short: Mechanography (also referred to as jumping mechanography or Muscle Mechanography) is a medical diagnostic measurement method for motion analysis and assessment of muscle function and muscle power by means of physical parameters. The method is based on measuring the variation of the ground reaction forces over the time for motion patterns close to typical every day movements (e.g. chair rise or jumps).

Key takeaways

Mechanography belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mechanography to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mechanography from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Mechanography (also referred to as jumping mechanography or Muscle Mechanography) is a medical diagnostic measurement method for motion analysis and assessment of muscle function and muscle power by means of physical parameters. The method is based on measuring the variation of the ground reaction forces over the time for motion patterns close to typical every day movements (e.g. chair rise or jumps). From these ground reaction forces centre of gravity related physical parameters like relative maximum forces, velocity, power output, kinetic energy, potential energy, height of jump or whole body stiffness are calculated. If the ground reaction forces are measured separately for left and right leg in addition body imbalances during the motions can be analysed. This enables for example to document the results of therapy. The same methodology can also be used for gait analysis or for analysis of stair climbing, grip strength and Posturography. Due to the utilization of every-day movements reproducibility is high over a wide age range

Fields of application Typical fields of applications of Mechanography are in the field of geriatrics especially in the field of Sarcopenia but also for Master Athletes. Mechanography is also used frequently in pediatrics for basic research ins muscle function and growth, reference Data as well as in specific diseases like Prader–Willi syndrome, Obesity, Osteogenesis Imperfecta and cerebral palsy. In opposite to many other established measurements methods like Chair Rising Test, Stand-up and Go test and others the maximum power output relative to body weight during a jump of maximum height measured by Mechanography is a much better reproducible and does not have a training effect even when repeated more frequently. Based on this test (maximum relative power output of a jump as high as possible) Runge et al. and Schönau et al. defined reference values of a fit population in order to match the individual power output in relation to bodyweight, age and gender Tsubaki showed when using identical selection criteria as Runge that the relative Power of the Japanese population is identical with western European population which delimits the need for localized reference data. Runge et al. also showed the interrelation between the measured individual power output and the neuromuscular caused fall risk. Due to this objective and highly reproducible quantification of typical every day movements by means of physical parameters the Mechanography is well suited to document the physical state of a person as well as the effects of training or therapy. Because of this it is also one of the standard measurements in recent and current Bed Rest Studies of the European Space Agency (ESA). and the Mars500 Mission. Mechanography has also been used to explore the relation between muscle and bone. According to the Mechanostat theorem muscle function influences bone growth. By combining functional measurement methods like Mechanography and quantitative computer tomographic measurements analysing bone density, geometry and strength this relationship can be assessed. In sports research Mechanography has been used to assess principle training effects.

Mechanography Devices The standard Mechanography measurement devices as used in all referenced articles are the Leonardo Mechanograph™ systems supplied by Novotec Medical GmbH, Pforzheim, Germany.

Resources

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mechanography

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mechanography claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mechanography before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mechanography ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mechanography

In research: Mechanography appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mechanography in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mechanography is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Medical tests, Neurology procedures, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mechanography outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mechanography in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mechanography means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mechanography out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mechanography in simple terms?

Why does Mechanography matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mechanography?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mechanography.