Biomechanics

Biomechanics is the scientific study of biological systems using principles of mechanics, the branch of physics concerned with forces, motion, and deformation. It examines how mechanical forces act on or are generated within living organisms and how biological structures respond. Biomechanics can be studied at many scales, from cells and tissues to organs, limbs, and whole-body movement .^1,2

In human movement, biomechanics helps explain how forces produced by muscles and forces from the environment interact with bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, and other tissues. These forces can produce or resist movement and can also create internal stresses and deformation within tissues. Biomechanics therefore considers both movement and the mechanical loading and responses associated with it .^1,2

Two closely related areas of movement biomechanics are kinematics and kinetics. Kinematics describes motion, such as the position, velocity, and movement of body segments, without focusing on the forces that produce it. Kinetics examines forces, moments, and related mechanical effects associated with movement, including forces generated within the body or exerted on it by the environment .^1,3

Biomechanics is broader than the study of exercise or athletic technique. The same mechanical principles can be used to investigate normal biological function, tissue loading, human movement, and how changes in biological structures affect their mechanical behavior .^1,2