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I am in the final stages of selecting my research topic for my thesis but before I make my final decision I wanted to see what the biomechanics community is currently looking into. I have a VICON system, AMTI force plates, EMG and high speed video cameras available. Feedback and info is greatly appreciated.
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Re: What are the current 'hot' topics in biomechanics?
Some examples-Originally posted by phillipsdave View Post
Broadly speaking (comparative biomechanics), but also applicable to human/clinical biomechanics:
-What factors (force, work, power, activation, etc.) determine the metabolic costs of locomotion and other activities?
-What, if anything, is optimized in any activity and how does the control system optimize it?
-What is stability in a biomechanical sense and how does it vary with size, morphology, pathology, etc?
-What limits speed or other aspects of athleticism, at any level(s)?
-What is NOT optimized (or varies a lot?) in biomechanics? (too seldom asked)
-How does form relate to function (mechanics) in any system and how are they decoupled? -
Re: What are the current 'hot' topics in biomechanics?
After I read your post I opened my 1993 edition of Mark Grabiner's compilation of "Current Issues in Biomechanics" to see how much our hot topics have changed over the course of almost 20 years. It seems as though many of the focuses from 1993 still remain very much at the forefront of our research today. Chapter titles are listed below:
Ch 1. Biomechanics of distance running (current focus on shod vs. unshod)
Ch 2. Biomechanics of the foot during locomotion (multisegment foot models have become increasingly popular and informative)
Ch 3. Human Gait: From Clinical Interpretation to Computer Simulation (Knee OA, CP, etc.)
Ch 4. Low Back Biomechanics in Industry: The Prevention in Injury Through Safer Lifting (large focus due to increasingly large population with low back pain)
Ch 5. Ligament Biomechanics (focus on clinical aspects of repair, trauma and disuse)
Ch 6. Skeletal Adaptation to Functional Stimuli (control mechanisms)
Ch 7. Skeletal Muscle Mechanics and Movement (healthy vs. pathological gait, for example)
Ch 8. Neuromuscular Baseis of the Maximum Voluntary Force Capacity of Muscle (applications in sports, etc.)
Ch 9. Ligamentous Mechanoreceptors and Knee Joint Function: The Neurosensory Hypothesis (still a very large focus on the ACL)Comment
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Re: What are the current 'hot' topics in biomechanics?
I think the public is becoming more aware of core stability and movement variability with the new video game platforms being introduced. In addition, we have a large percent of the population reaching their golden years. Notice how core strength/stability has become a popular class in many fitness centers? As with any new focus, innovative ways are being explored to quantify them.Comment
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Re: What are the current 'hot' topics in biomechanics?
Great posts so far, hopefully others will chime in. I'm digging up a post by Herbert Hatze from times of yore (2001) that focused on this question (albeit with a heavy emphasis on musculoskeletal modeling):
Knee osteoarthritis is definitely a prominent topic in clinical biomechanics at the moment. Some interesting questions to me are:
- Is knee OA a "biomechanics problem"?
- Can we use biomechanical variables for early detection?
- If so, can we modify these variables (e.g. walk different) or the system (e.g. muscle strength, footwear, weight loss) for positive clinical outcomes (e.g. prevent initiation, delay progression, avoid surgery)?
- How to assess changes in the knee joint load non-invasively and accurately?
- How can we study a disease whose progression takes 10-20 years?
Good luck,
RossLast edited by Ross Miller; January 18, 2012, 12:05 PM.Comment
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Re: What are the current 'hot' topics in biomechanics?
David,
These are all great posts to help guide you but equally important are your interests, the time frame for your project, the expertise of the lab staff and professors, as well as the equipment, lab size, and software at your disposal. Assuming that this is a Masters thesis, the best advice I received was that you can't save the world in the 1-2 years you have to complete it. Pick something that seems reasonable and then scale it back some. While I agree as to the significance of these topics you also need to make sure that the professors' expertise fall in line with the project goals. Without that you will have a difficult time finding answers to questions as well as filling a committee with qualified individuals. You have the equipment to perform many of the projects listed with the exception of musculoskeletal modeling which requires additional (sometimes pricey software depending on the package you use) software.
Sincerely,
ScottComment
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Re: What are the current 'hot' topics in biomechanics?
If by hot do you mean "topics that a lot of people are currently working in" then my guess would be that that would be applied questions in clinical or sports biomechanics. That's certainly where the money is and that's probably the biggest driver. If you mean "where are the big gaps in our understanding" then I'd say it's all the nasty, non-linear areas such as fluids, contacts, friction and control. More people seem to work on the hind limb rather than the forelimb, many more people work on humans than anything else, and almost no one works on invertebrates. It's not my area but I get the feeling there is a growing interest in cellular level mechanics and genetics - I'd be surprised if there wasn't. Given the equipment you have access to then human-based clinical and sports approaches would seem appropriate and then I'd think about practical aspects. I'd say the most important question is "where are you going to use as participants from?" Special groups such as the elderly or children are often remarkably hard to access, and access to people skilled at sport, or with specific medical histories can be tricky too. Once you've defined your limitations then you need to discuss research questions with your advisor. It is much easier to follow a hypothesis than it is to try something open ended. Curiosity is the key to good science.Comment
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Re: What are the current 'hot' topics in biomechanics?
I was browsing my post history and realized I did not say thank you! You all gave some really great advice and guidance! I was really excited to see the replies and must have lost track. Luckily I finished my thesis on modified foot strike patterns and 5000m running and I am in the 3rd year of my PhD. Thank you again all!Comment
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Re: What are the current 'hot' topics in biomechanics?
Aloha,
Follow the research money.
Or follow the awards,
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Dr. Steven King
Prior Army Officer and Podiatrist
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