Cell and Tissue Mechanics

Mechanical properties of hard and soft tissue are presented with emphasis on the stress adaptive processes that enable cells to adapt the mechanical/structural properties of tissue in which they live to the environment they experience. Topics to be covered include whole body biomechanics, occupational and sports injury, impact biomechanics, and tissue level biomechanics. The biomechanics of implants and cell biomechanics will be described briefly and their interrelationship explored. The mechanical properties of tissues will be reviewed, with an emphasis on the structure-function relationship. The stress adaptive mechanisms of tissues will be noted, with special emphasis on the stress adaptation observed in bone (Wolff’s law) and in the arterial wall (Murray’s law). The structural properties of cells, including their strength, deformability, and adhesive properties, will be covered, as well as the adaptation of cell structural properties. Cell receptors and cell signaling mechanisms will be described.