509 exam-style questions on Biomechanics with answers and explanations. Six real samples below — the full set is free with an account.
A footballer swings the kicking leg forward from the hip with the knee extending, driving the ball straight ahead. In which plane and about which axis does this leg action occur?
Answer: Sagittal plane about the frontal (mediolateral) axis
Forward and backward movements such as hip flexion divide the body into left and right, so they occur in the sagittal plane, and the axis is always perpendicular to the plane, which makes it the frontal or mediolateral axis. Pairing the sagittal plane with a sagittal axis is the single most common error in this topic.
A gymnast performs a cartwheel, travelling sideways with the trunk and limbs moving away from and back towards the midline. In which plane and about which axis does the whole-body rotation occur?
Answer: Frontal plane about the sagittal (anteroposterior) axis
Sideways movement divides the body into front and back, which defines the frontal plane, and the perpendicular axis runs front to back, giving the sagittal or anteroposterior axis. A cartwheel is the standard example because the body rotates as a whole in that plane.
A swimmer starting a butterfly recovery lifts the straight arm sideways away from the midline of the body with the palm facing down. Which joint action at the shoulder is described?
Answer: Abduction at the shoulder
Moving a segment sideways away from the midline in the frontal plane is abduction. Adduction is the return towards the midline, horizontal adduction carries an arm already at shoulder height across the body in the transverse plane, and lateral rotation turns the humerus about its own long axis.
Which description matches the anatomical position used as the reference for describing human movement?
Answer: Standing erect, feet together and forwards, palms facing forwards
The forward-facing palms are what distinguish the anatomical position from the relaxed standing posture, and every directional term is defined against it. Describing a movement without that fixed reference makes terms such as medial rotation ambiguous.
During a lateral cutting movement a basketball player turns the sole of the foot to face the midline of the body. Which joint action is described?
Answer: Inversion at the subtalar joint
Inversion turns the sole towards the midline and eversion turns it away, and both take place at the subtalar joint rather than at the talocrural hinge, which gives dorsiflexion and plantar flexion. Excessive inversion under load is the mechanism behind the common lateral ankle sprain.
A netball player ruptures the anterior cruciate ligament while landing from a jump. Which structures does this tissue join, and what is its main mechanical role?
Answer: Bone to bone, restraining excessive movement at the joint
A ligament runs from bone to bone and its collagen fibres limit joint movement to a safe range, whereas a tendon joins muscle to bone and transmits contractile force. Ligaments have a poor blood supply, which is why a complete rupture heals slowly.
That was 6 of 509 Biomechanics questions.
Practise all 509 freeA student writes that, because the elbow forms a third-class lever during a biceps curl, the elbow flexors need to produce a force smaller than the weight of the dumbbell.
See the correction →A student writes: 'When a 78 kg footballer strikes a 0.43 kg ball, the player must exert a larger force on the ball than the ball exerts on the boot, because the player is far more massive.'
See the correction →A student writes: 'A tall basketball player is more stable than a shorter team-mate of the same mass, because his greater height gives him a larger base of support.'
See the correction →OutlineAO2 · 1–4 marks
A brief account or summary: the main points in two or three sentences, no evaluation.
DrawAO1 · 1–2 marks
A labelled, accurate drawing with a ruler where lines are straight; axes and units on a graph.
DistinguishAO2 · 1–4 marks
Make the difference clear for BOTH terms — a definition of one of them is only half an answer.
509 Biomechanics questions — free with an account. Spaced repetition, streaks and full exam simulations included.
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