Preface
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 January 2012
Summary
Preface
The human skeleton has been intensively investigated from the very beginnings of biomedical science, and still remains a central research topic for many scientists worldwide. As the skeleton primarily has a mechanical function, it is reasonable that a vast number of these researchers look at the biomechanics and the mechanobiology of the skeleton. These investigations are pursued at many different scales, from the molecular level to the whole body, but in the last few years there has been a growing awareness that many of the important mechanisms that we observe are the result of complex systemic interactions that occur at different scales. This forces us to invent new ways of modeling the mechanobiology of the skeleton, ways that let us overcome the limits of a reductionist approach and account for the complexity of these systemic interactions.
The aim of this book is to provide the reader with a systematic update on where we are in terms of modeling the biomechanics and mechanobiology at each characteristic scale, and to show in which directions I believe it is possible to pursue that integration across the different scales that essential research now demands.
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- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011