Spatial measurement and transformation of muscular attachments at the lower extremity

A large number of spatial coordinates were directly measured on two wet anatomical muscle specimens with a measuring device specifically designed to collect cylindrical coordinates. Three-dimensional coordinates of muscle attachment circumferences, joint centres and bone landmarks were collected. All the measured points of a segment, including the adjacent joint centres, were referred to a reference system defined by three marked screw heads at the femur and tibia. The points of the pelvic segment were referred to three marks on a lumbar mounting plate. This approach allows one to define and to transform the data to any reference frame.