title: Normal thoracoabdominal motion.
abstract: An optical reflectance motion analysis (ELITE) system for the kinematic analysis of chest wall motion has recently been developed. The ELITE system is based on a television image processor permitting the three-dimensional assessment of the chest wall by automatically computing the co-ordinates of passive markers placed on the thorax and abdomen. Tracking 86 chest wall markers allows the volume of the lung- and diaphragm-apposed ribcage compartments and the abdomen to be calculated. This system has been proven reliable and accurate in a number of experimental conditions. Dynamic measurements obtained by combining respiratory pressure measurements with chest wall compartment volumes, determined by means of the ELITE system, has recently permitted the assessment of changes in respiratory muscle action relative to changes in chest wall compartment volumes in humans during walking or cycling exercise.
authors.affiliation: Fondazione Don C. Gnocchi ONLUS, Firenze, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scano
mesh_terms: D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D055095:Optics and Photonics / Q000295:instrumentation; D012272:Ribs / Q000502:physiology; D013909:Thorax / Q000502:physiology*