BIOMECHANICS OF

MUSCULOSKELETAL TISSUES

Aries R. H
 INTRODUCTION

• Biomechanics is the application of the principles and methods of mechanics to

biologic components and systems
• Orthopaedic biomechanics addresses musculoskeletal structures at scales
ranging from molecules to cells, extracellular matrix, tissues, organs, organ
systems, and whole organisms.
 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS FOR STRUCTURAL
ANALYSES

• Biomechanical system object (eg, bone, tendon or entire skeleton)

• For values of force and displacement, the International System of Units (SI)
will be used (m, kg, s, mol) (m2, m3, m/s, m/s2) (rad, Hz, N, Pa, J, Celcius)
 FORCE

• The basis for biomechanics is force, defined as an influence on an object that

causes one of three changes to that object: translation, rotation, and
deformation.
• A force is characterized by its point of application, magnitude, and direction
and quantified with a vector
 FORCE

• Some specific classifications of force acting on an object depend on the

direction of force. When an object is being pulled apart, the force is referred to
as tension (eg tendon and ligament). When an object is pushed together, the
force is referred to as compression (eg bone, cartilage and intervertebral disk)
 TORQUE

•  Whenever a force is applied to an object at a point outside of its axis of

rotation
 NEWTON’S LAW

• Newton’s first law states that if the net force on an object is zero

• When rigid objects are not in static equilibrium, they are subject to
translational or rotational acceleration that obeys Newton’s second law

• Newton’s third law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite
reaction.
 STATICS

• Statics is the field of mechanics that involves the forces and moments in
nonaccelerating objects (motionless)
 DYNAMICS

• Dynamics is the field of mechanics involving the relationship between forces

and moments on objects in motion.
 STRESS

• Stress is defined as the amount of force per unit area

• A commonly used term for stress is pressure.

 DEFORMATION AND STRAIN

• In biomechanics, there are several common loading patterns on tissues,

including tension, compression, torsion, and shear.
• As previously mentioned, tension is the axial elongation (positive stress and
strain) that occurs in tendons, ligaments, muscle (passive), and cartilage. Active
tension in muscles is characterized by a shortening of the muscle due to an
internally generated force.
 DEFORMATION AND STRAIN

• Compression is the axial shortening (negative stress and strain) that occurs in
bones, cartilage, intervertebral disks, and menisci.
• Torsion is the twisting around the axis, and shear is the loading transverse to
the axis. Each of these loading cases is evident for long bones
 ELASTIC PROPERTIES

• Structural properties describe the relationship between force and elongation,

whereas material properties describe the relationship between stress and strain
 SUMMARY

• Biomechanics is the basis for musculoskeletal function, dictating movement,

deformation, and loading of native tissues as well as materials.
• The effects of forces and displacements can be analyzed by treating the
musculoskeletal system as rigid or deformable objects.
THANK YOU