Mohsina sulthana

MPT neuro

ARM AS A WHOLE

ORIENTATION

The distinction between open and closed kinetic chains is essential when analyzing complex
upper-body movements, just as it is for the lower body. In an open kinetic chain, the end of
the limb is free to move, allowing it to gain speed by accumulating acceleration from joint to
joint. This chain enables powerful, unrestricted movements like throwing a ball.

In other situations, even without much external resistance, muscles around the shoulder and
elbow stabilize the limb to achieve precise, controlled movements. This type of control—
balancing speed and accuracy—is common in daily tasks and sports, like playing tennis or
golf, where both posture and dynamic movement are needed.

In all these movements, there's no external resistance opposing the muscles. The difference is
that movements focused on speed allow more free motion with less stabilization, while
movements focused on accuracy involve more stabilization and less speed.

When moving body parts, their mass resists motion. Heavier parts move slower because
acceleration is inversely related to mass. A muscle acting equally on both ends moves the
lighter end faster, as acceleration depends on the weight of each part.

When the hand or wrist moves freely, the hand’s mass is very small compared to the rest of
the body, which stays stable. So, moving the wrist moves the hand but not the rest of the
body, as the larger mass doesn't accelerate as much.

If the hand is fixed to something solid, like a bar, it essentially becomes one with the fixed
object. The rest of the body then moves when muscles act, as the hand can’t move. For
example, when pulling up on a bar, the forearm stays still, and the body moves.

In some cases, both ends of a joint are so strongly resisted that no movement occurs. For
instance, trying to lift a heavy car doesn’t move either the car or the person’s body, making
all muscle actions isometric (no shortening or lengthening of muscles). Usually, though, a
"closed chain" means that resistance at one end is strong enough to make the muscles work to
move the body instead of the limb, as in a pull-up.

When multiple joints are involved, they can move either all at once or in sequence. For heavy
lifting, muscles in all joints tend to work at the same time. But if speed is the goal, like in
throwing or swinging, joints are more likely to move in a sequence. In open kinetic chain
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MPT neuro

movements, joints tend to work one after the other, while in closed chains (with resistance),
joints are more likely to act together.

COMBINED MOVEMENTS

SHOULDER AND ELBOW

When the brachialis muscle flexes the elbow, a passive shoulder movement also occurs.

 Free movement (no resistance): When the elbow flexes, the arm naturally moves
backward in the shoulder, as the system's center of gravity is behind the shoulder
joint.
 Free movement with biceps (open kinetic chain): When both the elbow and shoulder
move together using the biceps, elbow flexion also brings the arm forward at the
shoulder.
 Fixed forearm (closed kinetic chain): If the forearm is held in place by resistance,
elbow flexion causes the shoulder blade to move forward and the arm to move
backward.

In summary, the shoulder's movement changes based on whether the arm is moving freely or
is held by resistance.

ELBOW AND WRIST

When the hand is free and relaxed:

 During elbow flexion, the forearm naturally moves into a pronated position.
 During elbow extension, the forearm moves into a supinated position.

When the hand is fixed (preventing pronation and supination):

 The ulna rotates around the radius in the opposite direction, which is adjusted by the
shoulder.
 Elbow flexion then involves inward rotation of the shoulder.
 Elbow extension involves outward rotation of the shoulder.

In short, fixing the hand creates compensatory shoulder rotation during elbow movements.
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MPT neuro

SHOULDER ELBOW AND WRIST

In an open kinetic chain, movement from the shoulder is transmitted through all joints of the
arm, resulting in coordinated actions across the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and fingers.

 Movement toward the shoulder:

The long head of the biceps flexes the shoulder and elbow, while forearm flexors bend the
elbow, wrist, and fingers until the hand reaches the shoulder.

 Movement away from the shoulder:

The long head of the triceps pulls the arm down (adducts) and extends the elbow. Forearm
extensors straighten the wrist and fingers, fully lengthening the arm.

 Forward and backward swings:

o During a forward swing with an extended elbow, the triceps counteracts the biceps
and brachialis to keep the elbow straight and supports the arm’s forward swing.
o In a backward swing, the triceps again counteracts the flexing action of the biceps and
brachialis to keep the elbow extended.
o In both forward and backward swings, there is a similar balance of muscle actions in
the arm as in the leg’s swing during walking. The same muscle coordination also
applies when the arm shortens or lengthens translationally.
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MPT neuro

ANALYSIS OF SOME ARM MOVEMENTS UNDER OPEN KINETIC CHAIN

CONDITIONS. NO EXTERNAL RESISTANCE

BALL THROWING

Throwing a ball is an example of an open kinetic chain, where the joints move in a specific
sequence to build acceleration:

Wind-up: Axial rotation of trunk ,transmitted to it through lower extremity.

Shoulder: Moves from elevation and backward position to forward flexion.
Elbow: Moves from flexion to extension.
Wrist: Moves from extension to flexion, releasing the ball.

Each joint activates at the peak of the previous joint’s momentum, creating a smooth,
coordinated motion.
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DISCUS THROWING

In disc throwing, momentum builds through three key actions:

1. *Arm Circling*: The arm circles to start building momentum.

2. *Trunk Rotation*: The trunk rotates as the pivot shifts from the left foot to the
right.
3. *Whip Action*: Finally, the elbow extends forcefully, and the wrist flexes,
releasing the disc.
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These combined actions maximize the throw's power and speed.

SHORT PUTTING

In shot put, despite the 12-pound weight, it's still an open kinetic chain focused on
speed and dynamic movement. Momentum builds through these steps:

1. *Left Leg Swing*: The left leg swings forward.

2. *Body Shift Right*: Weight shifts to the right foot with the right knee bent.
3. *Right Knee Extension*: A powerful straightening of the right knee.
4. *Body Shift Left*: Shifts back to the left side.
5. *Arm Extension*: Forceful extension of the shoulder and elbow.
6. *Wrist Flexion*: Finishing with a wrist flexion to release the shot.

Each step adds momentum for an effective throw.

ROLE OF ARM IN MAINTAINING BODY EQUILLIBRIUM

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When standing on toes, running, or jumping, the arms help keep balance. They work by
controlling the body's center of gravity. Throwing the arms forward prevents falling
backward, while swinging them back stops a forward fall. In jumping, the strong upward
movement of the arms increases the forward and upward momentum, but also disrupts
balance. When landing, the upward swing of the arms helps regain stability.

STANDING ON TOES

When you change the position of your arms, it shifts your body's center of gravity. This helps
maintain balance. For example, when you rise onto your toes and feel like you might fall
backward, moving your arms forward can restore your stability. Arm movements help to
keep the body balanced by adjusting the line of gravity to fall within the support of your feet.
Tight-rope walkers use their arms or a pole to improve this balance.

IN RUNNING AND JUMPING:

In running, the arms swing opposite to the legs, just like in walking but with more force. This
helps with both forward motion and control.

When jumping, once the feet leave the ground, the body can no longer push off to gain speed.
The arms must swing to add to the jump's momentum before takeoff. In high jumps, the legs
tuck close to the body to clear the hurdle. In long jumps, the legs extend forward for a
smoother landing, and the arms help slow down forward motion by swinging upward. After
landing, the jumper bends the knees and hips to absorb the impact.

MOVEMENT OF UPPER EXTREMITY IN CLOSED KINETIC CHAIN

In situations where the arm moves against a large external resistance, this can restrict or even
stop its movement, creating a closed kinetic chain. For example, lifting a heavy weight or
moving a heavy object provides this resistance, with the muscles’ ability to move the object
depending on its mass. If the resistance is too great, there may be no visible movement, like
when someone pulls themselves up on a fixed horizontal bar. In rowing, the water’s
resistance against the oars acts as the external resistance, with the body moving forward to
assist elbow flexors and backward to assist elbow extensors. Closed kinetic chains focus on
generating force, while open kinetic chains focus on speed or acceleration.
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WEIGHT LIFTING

In weight lifting, lifting a heavy weight involves overcoming gravity’s force, which would
pull it down. To do this, lifters use specific body positions, like bending backward and tilting
the head, to counteract gravity’s rotation effect on the weight.

In weightlifting, the lifter aims to keep the weight as close as possible to their body’s center
of gravity. This minimizes the rotational force on their joints, so they only need to focus on
lifting the weight straight up.

The process generally follows these steps:

1. The lifter starts in a crouched position with bent knees, creating tension in the leg muscles.

2. By extending their legs, they lift the bar straight up to thigh level, arms extended.

3. Next, they bend their elbows and lean back slightly, keeping the weight close to their body
to minimize rotational stress.

4. As the weight reaches the chin level, they tilt their head back to allow it to pass without
moving the bar forward.

5. Finally, to raise the weight overhead, they bend their knees slightly and then push upwards
with their legs and arms, making sure to keep the weight close to the center line.

This technique ensures the weight is lifted efficiently and with minimal strain on the body.

CHINNING ON THE HORIZONTAL BAR

When doing a chin-up, you pull your body toward a fixed bar. Since the bar doesn’t move,
the motion is focused on moving your body upward toward it, creating a closed kinetic chain.

In this scenario, the body is lifted rather than a bar. The hands grip the bar as fixed points,
while the upper arm moves relative to the forearm and the body moves relative to the arms.

The steps are:

1. Begin by bending the elbows to pull the body up toward the bar.

2. Once near the bar, adjust the grip so the elbows can move backward.

3. Move the head forward to clear the bar.

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4. Finally, fully extend the elbows and shoulders to lift the body until the arms are straight.

This technique keeps the body close to the arms for an efficient lift.

BOXING

In boxing, the punch combines force and speed, with the main goal being a powerful impact.
The legs and body add momentum, while the upper body stays stable to ensure all the force
goes into the punch.

Boxing is a mix of speed and force. The arm is positioned to meet resistance, while also
maximizing momentum for a powerful punch. Unlike throwing, where the goal is maximum
speed, boxing prioritizes force, though speed is still important for a strong punch. This is
achieved through the legs, trunk, and shoulders, with the arm kept stable to transfer the
body’s energy effectively.

In most sports and daily movements, it's hard to classify actions as purely open or closed
kinetic chains; many are a mix of speed and force. Generally, upper body movements can be
seen as dynamic (open chain) or stable (closed chain), and an athlete’s body type may
influence their aptitude for one over the other. However, developing speed usually requires
strength, and vice versa.