The goal of this course is to develop a hierarchical approach for characterizing and understanding the structure-function relationships for any load-bearing biological tissue. Using a range of musculoskeletal tissues as examples, micro-mechanical analysis of the tissue microstructure will be used to explain and model the experimentally observed continuum-level behavior. Specific applications of theory will include anisotropic elasticity, composite mechanics, continuum damage theory, cellular solids, poroelasticity and biphasic theories, solid-fluid and electrochemical interactions, viscoelasticity, and biological responses to mechanical stimuli. Current clinical problems in orthopaedics and ergonomics will illustrate practical applications.

Knowledge of the biomechanical behavior — the mechanical behavior and its relation to the surrounding biological environment — of load-bearing biological tissues is prerequisite to understanding the causes of, and providing treatments and replacements for various tissue injuries and pathologies. Thus, knowledge of the structure-function relationships of biological tissues forms the basis of many fields of study in the field of bioengineering. Rather than survey briefly many biological tissues, our approach is to study in more depth the biomechanical behavior of the major orthopaedic biological tissues, and to do so in such as way as to develop principles that can be applied to any tissue. However, other tissues such as skin, blood vessels, cell membranes, teeth, and wood will also be covered. The course therefore is designed to provide the student with an in-depth knowledge on the structure-function relationships for bone and the passive musculoskeletal tissues (i.e. all tissues except muscle) and from this develop approaches for the quantitative structural analysis of any load-bearing biological tissue.