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International Ophthalmology Clinics 2017Biomechanics is the science concerned with the origin and effects of forces that act on living organisms. The cornea is a complex composite whose behavior depends on its... (Review)
Review
Biomechanics is the science concerned with the origin and effects of forces that act on living organisms. The cornea is a complex composite whose behavior depends on its structural subcomponents and their organizational motifs. A better understanding of its biomechanical features is essential to understand the consequences of procedures such excimer laser refractive surgery and corneal collagen crosslinking and to improve the detection and management of ectatic corneal diseases. Devices such as the Ocular Response Analyzer and the Corvis STL use an air-puff to perturb the cornea and assess biomechanical responses. Although both devices use similar approaches, data produced by them cannot be used interchangeably. Moreover, current commercial technologies lack capabilities for regional property discrimination, which is of paramount importance for comprehensive biomechanical analysis. To address this gap, other methodologies such as optical coherence elastography and Brillouin microscopy are being developed and early studies show promising results. Finally, another important tool for studying complex structures is computational modeling using the finite element method. The cornea can be represented as a mesh of smaller geometric elements with specific material properties. Advances in this area have the potential to enhance diagnosis, enable personalized risk assessment, and optimize treatment design toward the goal of improving safety and outcomes for corneal and refractive surgery patients.
Topics: Biomechanical Phenomena; Collagen; Cornea; Corneal Stroma; Cross-Linking Reagents; Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; Elasticity; Elasticity Imaging Techniques; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Keratoconus; Photochemotherapy
PubMed: 28590282
DOI: 10.1097/IIO.0000000000000172 -
International Journal of Environmental... Oct 2022Physical exercise promotes healthy aging and is associated with greater functionality and quality of life. Muscle strength and power are established factors in the...
Physical exercise promotes healthy aging and is associated with greater functionality and quality of life. Muscle strength and power are established factors in the ability to perform daily tasks and live independently. Stiffness, for mechanical reasons, is another important constituent of running performance and locomotion. This study aims to analyze the impact of age and training status on one-legged hopping biomechanics and to evaluate whether age-related power decline can be reduced with regular physical exercise. Forty-three male subjects were recruited according to their suitability for one of four groups (young athletes, senior athletes, young controls and senior controls) according to their age (young between 21 and 35, vs. older between 59 and 75) and training status (competing athletes vs. non-physically active). The impact of age and training status on one-legged hopping biomechanics were evaluated using the two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) method. Significant differences among groups were found for hopping height ( < 0.05), ground contact time ( < 0.05), peak ground reaction force ( < 0.05) and peak power ( < 0.01). No differences among groups were found in ground-phase vertical displacement and vertical stiffness ( > 0.05). Young athletes and older non-physically active people achieved the best and worst performance, respectively. Interestingly, there were not any differences found between young non-physically active people and senior athletes, suggesting that chronic training can contribute to partly offset effects that are normally associated with aging.
Topics: Humans; Male; Biomechanical Phenomena; Quality of Life; Running; Muscle Strength; Locomotion
PubMed: 36294273
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013696 -
Anesthesiology May 2023
Topics: Biomechanical Phenomena; Aorta
PubMed: 36645859
DOI: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000004468 -
Journal of Biomechanics Jan 2023The potential of biomechanics for improving human health and performance is well established in many parts of the world. However, across most of Africa, biomechanics...
The potential of biomechanics for improving human health and performance is well established in many parts of the world. However, across most of Africa, biomechanics remains relatively underdeveloped. The discussion around biomechanics in the continent has increased in recent times and young African scientists are pursuing career opportunities in biomechanics-related fields within Africa and in other parts of the world. New institutions and programmes that focus on biomechanics teaching and research are also starting up around the continent. The advent of the National Biomechanics Day event, formation of the first formal biomechanics society in South Africa, along with many collaborations with relevant stakeholder organizations around the world underpin the expansion of biomechanics in Africa. This article aims to summarize the current state and describe aspirations for the future of biomechanics in Africa.
Topics: Humans; Biomechanical Phenomena; Africa
PubMed: 36701961
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111456 -
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews.... May 2017More and more frequently, computational biomechanics deals with problems where the portion of physical reality to be modeled spans over such a large range of spatial and... (Review)
Review
More and more frequently, computational biomechanics deals with problems where the portion of physical reality to be modeled spans over such a large range of spatial and temporal dimensions, that it is impossible to represent it as a single space-time continuum. We are forced to consider multiple space-time continua, each representing the phenomenon of interest at a characteristic space-time scale. Multiscale models describe a complex process across multiple scales, and account for how quantities transform as we move from one scale to another. This review offers a set of definitions for this emerging field, and provides a brief summary of the most recent developments on multiscale modeling in biomechanics. Of all possible perspectives, we chose that of the modeling intent, which vastly affect the nature and the structure of each research activity. To the purpose we organized all papers reviewed in three categories: 'causal confirmation,' where multiscale models are used as materializations of the causation theories; 'predictive accuracy,' where multiscale modeling is aimed to improve the predictive accuracy; and 'determination of effect,' where multiscale modeling is used to model how a change at one scale manifests in an effect at another radically different space-time scale. Consistent with how the volume of computational biomechanics research is distributed across application targets, we extensively reviewed papers targeting the musculoskeletal and the cardiovascular systems, and covered only a few exemplary papers targeting other organ systems. The review shows a research subdomain still in its infancy, where causal confirmation papers remain the most common. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2017, 9:e1375. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1375 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Topics: Biomechanical Phenomena; Blood Vessels; Bone and Bones; Cardiovascular System; Erythrocytes; Humans; Models, Biological; Muscle, Skeletal; Musculoskeletal System; Myocytes, Cardiac; Regional Blood Flow
PubMed: 28102563
DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1375 -
Anatomical Record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) May 2017The shape of the human pelvis reflects the unique demands placed on the hip abductor muscles (gluteus medius and gluteus minimus), which stabilize the body in the... (Review)
Review
The shape of the human pelvis reflects the unique demands placed on the hip abductor muscles (gluteus medius and gluteus minimus), which stabilize the body in the frontal plane during bipedal locomotion. This morphological shift occurred early in hominin evolution, yet important shape differences between hominin species have led to significant disagreement about abductor function and locomotor capability in these extinct taxa. A static biomechanical model that relies on a close association between skeletal measurements of the pelvis and femur has traditionally been used to reconstruct hip biomechanics in these species. However, experimental biomechanical approaches have highlighted the dynamic nature of mediolateral balance in walking and running, challenging the assumptions of the static hip model. This article reviews traditional approaches for understanding hip abductor function, shows how they have been applied to the fossil hominin record, and discusses new techniques that integrate the dynamic nature of mediolateral balance during human locomotion. Anat Rec, 300:932-945, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Topics: Animals; Biomechanical Phenomena; Fossils; Hip; Hominidae; Humans; Locomotion; Walking
PubMed: 28406571
DOI: 10.1002/ar.23558 -
Annals of the Academy of Medicine,... Aug 2020
Topics: Biomechanical Phenomena; Humans
PubMed: 33164037
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of Athletic Training Jul 2022Inadequate hip active range of motion (AROM) may stifle the energy flow through the kinematic chain and decrease pitching performance while increasing the risk for...
CONTEXT
Inadequate hip active range of motion (AROM) may stifle the energy flow through the kinematic chain and decrease pitching performance while increasing the risk for pitcher injury.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between hip AROM and pitching biomechanics during a fastball pitch in adolescent baseball pitchers.
DESIGN
Cross-sectional study.
SETTING
Biomechanics laboratory.
PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS
A sample of 21 adolescent male baseball pitchers (age = 16.1 ± 0.8 years, height = 183.9 ± 5.2 cm, mass = 77.9 ± 8.3 kg).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)
Bilateral hip external-rotation (ER), internal-rotation, flexion, abduction, and extension AROM were measured. Three-dimensional biomechanics were assessed as participants threw from an indoor pitching mound to a strike-zone net at regulation distance. Pearson product moment correlation coefficients were used to determine relationships between hip AROM and biomechanical metrics.
RESULTS
Negative correlations were found at foot contact between back-hip ER AROM and torso-rotation angle (r = -0.468, P = .03), back-hip ER AROM and back-hip abduction angle (r = -0.474, P = .03), and back-hip abduction AROM and lead-hip abduction angle (r = -0.458, P = .04). Back-hip extension AROM was positively correlated with increased stride length (r = 0.446, P = .043). Lead-hip abduction AROM was also positively correlated with normalized elbow-varus torque (r = 0.464, P = .03).
CONCLUSIONS
We observed several relationships between hip AROM and biomechanical variables during the pitching motion. These findings support the influence that hip AROM can have on pitching biomechanics. Overall, greater movement at the hips allows the kinematic chain to work at maximal efficiency, increasing the pitch velocity potential.
Topics: Adolescent; Male; Humans; Baseball; Biomechanical Phenomena; Cross-Sectional Studies; Hip; Elbow Injuries
PubMed: 34543423
DOI: 10.4085/1062-6050-0103.21 -
Journal of Neuroengineering and... Sep 2017We summarize content from the opening thematic session of the 20th anniversary meeting for Biomechanics and Neural Control of Movement (BANCOM). Scientific discoveries... (Review)
Review
We summarize content from the opening thematic session of the 20th anniversary meeting for Biomechanics and Neural Control of Movement (BANCOM). Scientific discoveries from the past 20 years of research are covered, highlighting the impacts of rapid technological, computational, and financial growth on motor control research. We discuss spinal-level communication mechanisms, relationships between muscle structure and function, and direct cortical movement representations that can be decoded in the control of neuroprostheses. In addition to summarizing the rich scientific ideas shared during the session, we reflect on research infrastructure and capacity that contributed to progress in the field, and outline unresolved issues and remaining open questions.
Topics: Biomechanical Phenomena; Humans; Locomotion; Motor Skills; Movement; Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; Neural Prostheses; Spinal Cord
PubMed: 28893279
DOI: 10.1186/s12984-017-0298-y -
Hand Clinics May 2018Proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint arthritis is a debilitating condition. The complexity of the joint makes management particularly challenging. Treatment of PIP... (Review)
Review
Proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint arthritis is a debilitating condition. The complexity of the joint makes management particularly challenging. Treatment of PIP arthritis requires an understanding of the biomechanics of the joint. PIP joint arthroplasty is one treatment option that has evolved over time. Advances in biomaterials have improved and expanded arthroplasty design. This article reviews biomechanics and arthroplasty design of the PIP joint.
Topics: Arthroplasty, Replacement, Finger; Biomechanical Phenomena; Carbon; Chromium Alloys; Finger Joint; Humans; Joint Prosthesis; Polyethylene; Prosthesis Design; Silicones
PubMed: 29625638
DOI: 10.1016/j.hcl.2017.12.008