This subject equips the student with a fundamental understanding of bioengineering Mechanics applied in the field of Biomedical and Sports Engineering. Force Systems, Stress/Strain and moments are introduced. It will provide the student with the analytical and practical skills for solving problems in this field. This forms the basis for further study in their final year.
Section 1: Statics to Human Biomechanics: Mechanics of the Elbow, Shoulder, Spinal Column, Hip, Knee, Ankle.
Section 2: Basic Stress and Strain; Elastic Constitutes/Material behaviour: Basic Stress and Strain; Shear stress; direct shear strain; Stress-strain relations, Hooke’s law. Four elastic constants (Poisson’s ratio, bulk modulus, Young’s modulus and shear modulus).Tensile test; ductile and brittle materials. Safe working stress. Tensile and compressive behaviour of cortical and trabecular bone.
Section 3: Shear force & Bending moments: Sign convention of shear force and bending moment; shear force and bending moment diagrams. Problems with concentrated, distributed and combined loads. Points of contraflexure.
Section 4: Bending of Beams: Simple Bending Theory; Neutral axis, section modulus; 2nd moment of area; Bending stress of beams; Shear stresses due to bending; Limitations of simple bending theory. Orthopaedic examples problems such as compression plates, Combination of compression plate and internal fixators.
Section 5: Torsion & Shear stress: Simple Theory of Torsion; polar second moment of area. Shear stress and shear strain in shafts. Torsional rigidity; torsion of hollow shafts. Orthopaedic examples problems such as IM nails. Clinical Biomechanics. Torsional Rigidity.
