Introduction to Biomechanics ME 091050504 091047001

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Introduction to BiomechanicsME 0910-505-04 /
0910-470-01
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Bioengineering

• Many problems confronting health professionals
  are important to engineers because they involve
  device/system analysis, design, and practical
  application.
• Bioengineering is a broad umbrella term (biology
  engineering) defined as a basic
  research-oriented activity related to
  biotechnology and genetic engineering, which is
  modification of animal or plant cells or parts of
  cells to improve animals or plants or to develop
  new cells or organisms.
• Examples
• development of improved plant or animal species
  for food production
• invention of medical tests for disease
• production of vaccines from cells

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What is Biomedical Engineering?

• Biomedical engineering - discipline that advances
  knowledge in engineering, biology and medicine,
  and improves human health through
  cross-disciplinary activities that integrate the
  engineering sciences with the biomedical sciences
  and clinical practice. It includes
• The acquisition of new knowledge and
  understanding of living systems through the
  innovative and substantive application of
  experimental and analytical techniques based on
  the engineering sciences.
• The development of new devices, algorithms,
  processes and systems that advance biology and
  medicine and improve medical practice and health
  care delivery.

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Biomedical Engineering encompasses fields such as

• Biosignals
• Bioinstrumentation
• Biotransport (heat / fluids)
• Biomechanics
• Tissue engineering
• Clinical engineering
• Many more!

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Major Advances in BME

• Hip joint replacement
• MRI
• Pacemaker
• Arthoscopy
• Heart-lung machine
• Angioplasty
• Bioengineered skin
• Timed-release drug capsules
• Kidney dialysis

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Biomechanics What is it?

• The study of the structure and function of
  biological systems (living structures) by means
  of the methods of mechanics (statics, dynamics,
  mechanics of materials)
• The science concerned with the internal and
  external forces acting on the human body and the
  effects produced by these forces
• Biomechanics covers a wide field from solid to
  fluid mechanics, from motion sports mechanics to
  automobile crash tests. It includes tissue
  engineering and biomaterials, artificial organs
  and sports therapy

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Objectives of Biomechanics

• To understand human physical performance how do
  we perform movement and apply forces? how is
  human motion controlled and how can it be
  refined
• To understand how the biological tissues
  (materials) such as muscles, bones, cartilage,
  tendons and other soft tissues participate in
  such performance

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Objectives of Biomechanics

• To determine what kind of forces are acting on
  musculoskeletal tissue elements during physical
  activity
• To find out what are the mechanical properties of
  the relevant biological tissues how do they
  deform and endure the application of forces and
  how do they remodel
• To understand the mechanisms of injury what kind
  of loads cause tissues to fail (lose their
  structural integrity)

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Examples of Questions that Biomechanics can Answer

• Truck drivers are known to develop chronic lower
  back pain. Is there a critical vibration spectrum
  which will cause injury?
• Running can produce injuries to the joints of the
  lower limbs. Can athletic shoes help prevent
  injury by improving dynamic foot-ground
  interaction?
• Leg amputation and a continuous use of prosthesis
  is likely to produce lower back pain in later
  life. Can such arthritic development be prevented
  via control of the limb structural parameters?

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Examples of Biomechanical Applications

• Plastic surgeon needs to perform skin graft to
  cover an affected area of burned skin. What is
  the best way to prepare skin for grafting?
• Plastic surgeon needs to perform reconstructive
  surgery by transplanting cartilage from the
  sternum to the nose. How can he prevent stress
  related deformity
• How does one control an overuse syndrome in
  articular cartilage such as in osteoarthritis of
  the knee or hip

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Examples Cont.

• An orthopedic surgeon is presented with a case of
  a child where the hip joint is abnormally
  overloaded such that it causes degeneration of
  the joint cartilage. What kind of solution can be
  applied and what are the consequences
• Degenerative changes in a joint (Ankle, knee,
  hip, spine) may cause unbearable pain. The
  surgeon may consider fusion of the bony elements
  of the joint. What are the benefits and the
  shortcomings of the procedure.

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Examples Cont.

• An alternative solution to the same problem could
  be to resurface the joint with prosthetic
  components, what kind of loads need to be
  considered? how should the prosthetic component
  be interfaced to the bony tissue? what kind of
  geometry need to be reproduced?
• Runners often suffer joint injuries as a result
  of the frequent and extensive loading. Are shoes
  contributory to the alleviation of such stresses?
  Which shoe characteristics need to be considered?

• A child broke his tibia. Is plaster casting a
  good solution?

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Examples Cont.

• In the design of high acceleration equipment,
  such as airplanes, space rockets, roller
  coasters and road vehicles, how does one decide
  what kind of accelerations can the body sustain
  without being injured?
• In the design of off road equipment and vehicles,
  exposure to vibrations considers frequencies
  amplitudes duty cycle exposure time, etc.?
• In the design of seat belts for automotive
  application, what would be an optimal
  configuration to prevent rib fractures?

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Biomechanics Does it exist in more than one
field?

• Exercise and sport biomechanics (Kinesiology
  kinesis (motion) logy (science, study of)
• Orthopedic biomechanics
• Impact biomechanics
• Occupational biomechanics
• Biomechanics of other biological systems

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Exercise and Sport Biomechanics

• Improvement of athletic performance
• Reduction of athletic injuries
• Product development

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Performance of Movement

• 1. How do we perform movement and/or apply
  forces

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Orthopedic Biomechanics

• Artificial limbs, joints, and orthoses to improve
  functional movement capacity
• Study of natural and artificial biological tissues

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Occupational Biomechanics

• Ergonomics and Human Factors
• Reduction of workplace injuries
• Rehabilitation mechanics

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Impact biomechanics

• Impact injury biomechanics
• Vehicular biomechanics-safety, impact, vehicular
  guidance

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Biomechanics of other biological systems

• Comparative biomechanics (e.g. swimming in fish,
  locomotion in apes)
• Equine (horse) and canine (dog) racing performance

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Biomechanics of other biological systems

• Bone mechanics
• Musculoskeletal mechanics
• Musculoskeletal systems/control
• Artificial organs
• Respiratory mechanics
• Cardiovascular mechanics

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What do they have in common?

• Application of fundamental mechanical principles
  to the study of structure and function of living
  systems
• Common measurement and analysis tools

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Divisions of Mechanics
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Why Study Biomechanics?

• From a mechanical perspective
• How do we generate and control our movements?
• What mechanical and/or anatomical factors
  determine or limit movement outcomes?
• How can we make our movements better?
• How can we model and predict motions?
• How can we prevent injury?
• What characteristics should prosthetics or
  artificial organs have?

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Musculoskeletal Relationship with Physiology
Neural Control
EMG
Force
Moments
Muscle Metabolism
Muscle Mechanics
Skeletal Mechanics
Work
Power
Cardio- Respiratory Response
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What do biomechanists do?

• Determine how the body produces motion (e.g.
  joint power analysis)
• Help understand injury mechanisms (e.g. impact
  injuries)
• Design sport equipment (e.g. running shoes,
  football helmets, tennis rackets)
• Design of workplace environments (e.g. ergonomic
  wrist pads for keyboards)
• Improve efficiency of workplace (e.g. cockpit
  design)
• Develop computer animation (e.g. games and movies)

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What we will study

• Basic anatomical terminology
• Anthropometry
• Use, process, analyze kinematic data
• Classical mechanics of human movement
• Muscle mechanics
• Topics of your choice

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Goals for this course

• Increase your working capabilities of statics,
  dynamics, solid mechanics and materials as
  related to the human body
• Give you an overview of a variety of topics in
  biomechanics
• Make you think in ways you probably havent
  before relating social science, economics,
  politics of bioengineered devices to engineering
• Conduct research in preparation for the workplace
  and graduate school