New Horizons in Biomechanics

Abstract

The field of biomechanics has grown rapidly in the last two decades and is now a recognized branch of applications of engineering mechanics. New horizons for biomechanics lie in several directions. Techniques of measurement and analysis developed for normal tissues need to be increasingly specialized and applied to interpret pathological and diseased states. The mechanics and control of growth both at the macroscopic and cellular level is a related area in which biomechanics needs to be applied. At the microscopic level, the application of mechanics is hardly developed at all. The molecular structures of gels and fibers found in biological tissues require study from the standpoint of engineering mechanics to explain their macroscopic behavior and active growth properties. Such studies include mechanisms of locomotion of individual cells.