A repetitive movement over a long period of time, habituation to poor posture, handling heavy load can lead to musculoskeletal disorders. The most important thing is to prevent MSDs by automating repetitive tasks. But it is also necessary to help a patient with rehabilitation when an MDS has appeared. Regarding the human musculoskeletal system of movement analyses, joint torques developed by muscles are useful to prevent or treat MSDs. The knowledge of these torques is important to evaluate the possibilities of assisting a joint with an orthosis for instance. In this study, we analyze a specific half squat motion considered as a planar movement. Joint torques are estimated with two models -a 3D Opensim and a 2D Matlab model. Torque variations from the two models are consistent even if the amplitudes differ. This result is attributable to the different anthropometric tables which the two models are based on. Another strategy developed here consists in estimating joint torques without the measured ground reaction forces. In that case, global vertical reaction force is well estimated. The use of the 2D Matlab model is a simple and efficient way to preliminarily analyze squat trajectories.