Tissue Biomechanics: Physiology and Pathology

Tissue biomechanics is the study of the ways in which different parts of the human body, such as bones, tendons and muscles, react to external forces. The principal objective of tissue biomechanics is to characterize the mechanical and physical properties of healthy as well as pathological tissues. The results of the measurements from tissue biomechanics can be considered as reference values for the development of biomaterials that can substitute the same tissue. Tissue biomechanics can be utilized for determining the manner in which an injury took place and for assessing the feasibility of medical implants and prosthetic devices. Simple mechanical testing procedures including compressive, tensile, shear, and cyclic loading procedures are often used for the mechanical characterization of tissue properties at the macro-scale. At the micro- and nano-scales, indentation tests such as micro- and nano-indentation could be used for the mechanical characterization of tissues. This book examines the physiology and pathology of tissue biomechanics in detail. With state-of-the-art inputs by acclaimed experts of this field, it targets students and professionals involved in the field of tissue engineering.