EVALUATION OF BILATERAL ASYMMETRY BETWEEN UPPER LIMB MASSES IN RIGHT-HANDED YOUNG ADULTS OF BOTH SEXES.

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Human anatomy
• Anthropometry

Background:

• Understanding limb mass distribution is crucial for biomechanical analysis.
• Previous methods for assessing upper limb mass may lack precision.
• Sex-based differences in limb morphology warrant further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel, precise method for measuring upper arm mass.
• To compare the mass of the dominant versus non-dominant upper limb.
• To investigate potential sex differences in upper limb mass asymmetry.

Main Methods:

• Collected kinematic and kinetic data during arm motion in healthy adults.
• Calculated individual upper arm masses using a novel precise measurement technique.
• Analyzed data from 40 healthy untrained participants (20 male, 20 female).

Main Results:

• The dominant arm was generally more massive than the non-dominant arm across participants.
• Upper arm mass asymmetry was more pronounced in males compared to females.
• Regression equations were derived to relate upper arm mass to total body mass.

Conclusions:

• The novel method provides precise upper arm mass measurements.
• Dominant arm hypertrophy is a common finding, with sex-specific patterns of asymmetry.
• Findings contribute to a better understanding of human limb mass distribution and its determinants.