ABSTRACT
The study of joint biomechanics is made difficult by the inaccessibility of most of the joints in the body. Although there are methods for studying the nature of the motion which occurs at any articulation, they are usually indirect and do not permit measurement of the motion of the actual bones. Those methods that do measure the actual bony motion are invasive, and not practical for routine use. There is a need, therefore, for a technique which quantifies and displays the motion of the bones of individual patients, without putting them at any risk. In this chapter, the authors describe such a technique, which is based upon the quantitative analysis of three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of bones from magnetic resonance (MR) images. Most movement of vertebrates is accomplished through the movement of bones. Whatever the cause of that movement — muscle action, external forces, or other factors — the bones move and carry with them the soft tissues.
