Biomechanics
Biomechanics applies engineering mechanics for understanding biological processes and for solving medical problems at systemic, organ, tissue, cellular, and molecular levels. Research efforts in biomechanics include the mechanics of connective tissues (ligament tendon, cartilage and bone), as well as orthopedic devices (fracture fixation hardware and joint prostheses), vascular remodeling (normal and pathological mechanics of pulmonary hypertension), muscle mechanics with injury and healing, human motor control, neuromuscular adaptation (with age, injury, and disease), microfluidics for cellular and subcellular applications, cellular motility and adhesion. Biomedical engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison use biomechanics for applications as diverse as studying the fundamental viscoelastic behavior of connective tissues preventing repetitive motion disorders in manual work, and understanding and preventing mechanical compromise in tissues in response to healing, changes in loading (from exercise, bed rest, etc.), aging, disease, and biochemical factors.