Biomechanics of Hard Tissues

This module provides introduction to muscular-skeletal anatomy and the principles of tissue biomechanics. The course applies and develops concepts from basic anatomy, statics, materials and mechanics of materials. The student will receive an overview of musculoskeletal anatomy, the mechanical properties and structural behaviour of biological tissues, in particular bone, cartilage and muscle. This course leads into a fourth year course on medical device design for hard tissues. It will provide a foundation for careers as design engineers in medical device companies, or as clinical engineers in the hospital environment.

1. Identify the appropriate elastic/viscoelastic model for the mechanical behaviour of a given biological tissue.

2. Identify relationships between structure and function in tissues and the importance of these relationships.

3. Comprehend and describe the general characteristics, material properties, appropriate constitutive model, and adaptation potential for tissues studied.

4. Analyse the stresses and strains in biological tissues, given the loading conditions and material properties.

5. Model, simulate and predict the mechanical behaviour of hard tissues and be able to explain the effects of degenerative diseases on these properties.