BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF AN EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR FORCES AND STRESSESIN THE HIP-JOINT AND FEMORAL-NECK

Bone remodeling as a response to exercise in human subjects is describ ed in the literature, although most studies treat exercise as a qualit ative factor contributing to bone remodeling. Quantitative description requires assessment of the mechanical loads on the bones. This work d escribes a generalized lower extremity model that uses existing muscul oskeletal modeling techniques to quantify mechanical variables in the femoral neck during exercise. An endurance exercise program consisting of walking, jogging, jumping rope, and weight-training was analyzed. Peak femoral neck cortex stresses and strains were high during jogging and squatting, compared to walking, whereas jumping rope and other we ight-training exercises produced peak stresses comparable to or lower than walking. Peak stress and strain rates were significantly higher f or walking, jumping rope, and jogging than for weight-training. The mo del should prove useful for any study investigating a quantitative rel ationship between exercise and bone remodeling.