Considering structural behaviour of bones in musculoskeletal simulation model

Musculoskeletal simulation models are popular to investigate injury situations on a computer. The existing musculoskeletal simulation models typically consist of a rigid multi-body model and muscles. Rigid segments prevent some mechanical behaviour of bones from being considered. In this study a computational approach has been developed that allows for investigation of human locomotion with a simulation model considering the structural behaviour of bones. The rigid bones in the multi-body model have been replaced by Euler-Bernoulli beams. The developed approach has been applied to simulate a drop in which a person lands on the ground with the ulna.