MEEN41160 Musculoskeletal Biomechanics and Mechanobiology

Academic Year 2024/2025

The tissues and organs of our musculoskeletal system facilitate motion, flexibility and strength throughout the lifecourse. Mechanical loading is key to the healthy development and function of cartilage, bone, muscles, tendon and the spine. These tissues and structures are optimised to fulfil their biomechanical, as well as their physiological, functions. At the cell level, organelles and structures such as ion channels and integrins regulate the response of cells to mechanical loading in both healthy and diseased states and transitions. In this module, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the biomechanics and mechanobiology of the musculoskeletal system. Through a range of task-oriented activities, including presentations, peer discussions, peer review and report writing, students will develop a critical awareness of current problems and recent innovations in the field of musculoskeletal biomechanics and mechanobiology.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this module, students will be able to:
- demonstrate a systematic understanding of how mechanical forces influence the formation, physiology, disease and degeneration of the musculoskeletal system through a) individual presentations and b) an end of term multiple choice question test.
- Calculate the loads acting in a range of musculoskeletal tissues, assessed through a problem sheet assignment
- use tools and packages frequently used in musculoskeletal biomechanics and mechanobiology industry and research for finite element analysis and musculoskeletal modelling, assessed through lab reports.
- demonstrate a critical awareness of current problems and recent innovations in the field of orthopaedics in a) giving and peer-assessing individual presentations and b) peer discussions of key papers from the literature.
- Critically evaluate current research in the field of musculoskeletal biomechanics and mechanobiology through a) peer discussions of key papers from the literature, and b) their research report.
- Propose new hypotheses to address identified gaps at the forefront of orthopaedic biomechanics and mechanobiology through their research report

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Practical

12
Autonomous Student Learning

70
Total

106
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module will use a wide range of teaching and learning approaches, including lectures, task-based learning, problem-based learning, computer lab work, critical writing, student presentations and debates.
Generative AI may be used to help students think of ideas, but outputs, text or content from Generative AI should not form part of any assignment or submission in this module (except for images when explicitly flagged as such). 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Quizzes/Short Exercises: In class MCQ testing understanding of how mechanical forces influence the formation, physiology, disease and degeneration of the musculoskeletal system. Timing indicative and subject to change. Week 15 Graded No

25

 No
Reflective Assignment: Online discussion forums of relevant topics. 1–3% for each topic Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 14, Week 15 Graded No

14

 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Research proposal report. Timing indicative and subject to change Week 11 Graded No

30

 No
Report(s): Lab report on FE Bio lab. Timings indicative and subject to change. Week 3 Graded No

6

 No
Report(s): Lab report on OpenSim. Timings indicative and subject to change. Week 7 Graded No

6

 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Problem sheet. Timing indicative and subject to change. Week 14 Graded No

7

 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Topic presentation, presented in class. Timing indicative and subject to change. Week 4, Week 5 Graded No

5

 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Research proposal presentation presented in class. Timing indicative and subject to change. Week 10 Graded No

5

 No
Reflective Assignment: Peer assessment of in-class topic presentations. Timing indicative and subject to change. Week 5 Graded No

2

 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback on the problem sheets, the lab reports and the literature discussions will be given individually online through the VLE. Prior to assessment, feedback can be given individually on drafts of the presentation and the research proposal prior to assessment upon request. Post assessment, feedback on the presentation from the instructors and from peer review will be provided individually through the VLE. Post-assessment individual feedback on the research proposal will be provided through the VLE using rubrics.