UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering

BME 207 Introduction to Biomechanics

Anthropometric Data

Table 1: Normalized Mass and Length of Body Segments (Standard Human)

Center of Mass /
Segment Mass / Segment Length Density
Segment Total Body Mass Proximal Distal (kg/l)
Hand 0.006 0.506 0.494 1.16
Forearm 0.016 0.430 0.570 1.13
Upper Arm 0.028 0.436 0.564 1.07
Forearm and Hand 0.022 0.682 0.318 1.14
Total Arm 0.050 0.530 0.470 1.11
Foot 0.0145 0.500 0.500 1.10
Lower Leg (calf) 0.0465 0.433 0.567 1.09
Foot and Lower Leg 0.061 0.606 0.394 1.09
Upper Leg (thigh) 0.100 0.433 0.567 1.05
Total Leg 0.161 0.447 0.553 1.06
Head and Neck 0.081 1.000 — 1.11
Trunk 0.497 0.500 0.500 1.03

Adapted from DA Winter, Biomechanics and Motor Control

of Human Movement, 3rd edition (John Wiley & Sons 2005)

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 BME 207 - Anthropometric Data

Table 2: Standing and Sitting Dimensions in meters

Male Female
Name Dimension 5th% 50th% 95th% 5th% 50th% 95th%
Stature A 1.649 1.759 1.869 1.518 1.618 1.724
Eye height (standing) B 1.545 1.644 1.748 1.427 1.520 1.630
Mid shoulder height C 1.346 1.444 1.564 1.210 1.314 1.441
Waist height D 0.993 1.102 1.168 0.907 0.985 1.107
Buttocks height E 0.761 0.839 0.919 0.691 0.742 0.832
Sitting height F 0.859 0.927 0.975 0.797 0.853 0.911
Eye height (sitting) G 0.743 0.800 0.855 0.692 0.743 0.791
Upper arm length H 0.333 0.361 0.389 0.306 0.332 0.358
Lower arm + hand length I 0.451 0.483 0.517 0.396 0.428 0.458
Upper leg length J 0.558 0.605 0.660 0.531 0.578 0.628
Lower leg length K 0.506 0.553 0.599 0.461 0.502 0.546

Adapted from RL Huston, Principles of Biomechanics (CRC Press 2009)

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 BME 207 - Anthropometric Data

Table 3: Body Segment Masses in kilograms

Body Male Female

Name Segment 5th% 50th% 95th% 5th% 50th% 95th%
Lower torso (pelvis) 1 8.24 10.00 11.99 8.27 10.00 12.11
Middle torso (lumbar) 2 9.01 10.95 13.13 5.45 6.59 7.98
Upper torso (chest) 3 15.30 18.58 22.28 7.69 9.30 11.25
Upper arm 4, 9 1.84 2.23 2.67 1.41 1.71 2.07
Lower arm 5, 10 1.14 1.39 1.66 0.84 1.02 1.24
Hand 6, 11 0.43 0.52 0.63 0.34 0.42 0.50
Neck 7 1.48 1.80 2.16 1.20 1.45 1.76
Head 8 4.07 4.95 5.93 3.31 4.01 4.85
Upper leg 12, 15 6.96 8.45 10.13 6.22 7.53 9.11
Lower leg 13, 16 2.84 3.45 4.14 2.24 2.71 3.28
Foot 14, 17 0.85 1.03 1.23 0.71 0.86 1.04
Total 66.22 80.42 96.41 49.44 59.85 72.43

Adapted from RL Huston, Principles of Biomechanics (CRC Press 2009)

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 BME 207 - Anthropometric Data

Figure 1
Body segment lengths expressed as a percentage of height (H): U.S. female

Stature

Eye

Chin

Shoulder

Elbow

Hip
Wrist
Buttock

Fingertips

Knee

Ankle

Adapted from Renato Contini, “Body Segment Parameters, Part II”;

Artifical Limbs 16(1):1–19 (Spring 1972)

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 BME 207 - Anthropometric Data

Figure 2
Body segment lengths expressed as a percentage of height (H): U.S. male

Stature

Eye

Chin

Shoulder

Chest

Elbow

Hip
Wrist
Buttock

Fingertips

Knee

Ankle

Adapted from Renato Contini, “Body Segment Parameters, Part II”;

Artifical Limbs 16(1):1–19 (Spring 1972)

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