ACADEMICS: MUSCULOSKELETAL BIOMECHANICS
Tracks and Concentrations - Graduate Program

Biomechanics in its broadest sense is the study of human continuum mechanics (that is the study of loads, motion, stress, and strain of solids and fluids) applied to biological systems. Musculoskeletal Biomechanics is a branch of biomechanics specifically focussing on the musculoskeletal system. This includes studies of the behavior of isolated tissues including bone, cartilage, ligament, tendon, muscle, and nerve, as well as studies of the interaction between these tissues and gross movement and stability. The faculty contributing to the Musculoskeletal Biomechancis Graduate Program come from a variety of disciplines (Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Exericise Science, Orthopaedics, Pediatrics, Obstetrics, Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology) and therefore have a broad spectrum of research interests. The ongoing research opportunities are diverse and include such areas as orthopaedic biomechanics (the study of many aspects of bone, cartilage, muscle, tendon, and ligament development, adaptation, injury and repair) and gross movement biomechanics (the study of whole body movement and the forces imposed on individual tissues to create such movements from basic, applied, and clinical perspectives). Coursework combines the principles of mechanics with essential elements from biology, physiology, anatomy, mathematics, physics, and computer science to give students a rigorous academic background that provides the basis for their thesis research and prepares them for careers in clinical, industrial and academic environments.

View The Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Brochure