Biomechanics
Coursework
Options
Biomechanics Faculty
Biomechanics Research
Biomechanics is the application of engineering principles to biological systems. Biological systems are adept at growth, adaptation, resilience, and control, and often perform better than the most advanced computers and machines we can make. Developing our understanding of how humans move and function using mechanical engineering principles allows us to solve major health challenges. At Mines, we investigate the neural, muscular, and skeletal systems across length and time scales, developing state-of-the-art personalized biomechanical models for the whole body and tissues. We quantitatively assess dynamic movement, joint function, neural activity, muscle mechanics, and external human body interactions.
In this research we are preventing injury, characterizing movement adaptation, and improving mobility. Our work applies to improving clinical treatments, advancing industrial settings, personalized medicine, early diagnoses of musculoskeletal disease, predicting injury, enhancing sports performance, developing assistive technology, and more! Graduates of our programs work in medical devices, sports product development, defense health research, accident reconstruction, health technology, neural imaging, and human-robot interaction.
Coursework Options
Read below for advice on how to structure your coursework to support a career in biomechanics.
ME CORE Courses
The ME Core courses that best support ME students with an interest in biomechanics are:
- MEGN 514 Continuum Mechanics. PhD and MS-T students are advised to take the in-person version during the spring semester of their first year.
- MEGN 505 Advanced Dynamics. PhD and MS-T students are advised to take the in-person version during the fall semester of their second year.
| Core Classes | Course Number | Course Name | Credits | On-Campus | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEGN 502 | Advanced Engineering Analysis | 3 | Fall/Spring | Fall | |
| MEGN 505 | Advanced Dynamics | 3 | Fall | Summer | |
| MEGN 514 | Continuum Mechanics | 3 | Spring | Fall | |
| MEGN 551 | Advanced Fluids | 3 | Fall | Spring | |
| MEGN 571 | Advanced Heat Transfer | 3 | Spring | Fall |
ME CORE Courses
The ME Core courses that best support ME students with an interest in biomechanics are:
- MEGN 514 Continuum Mechanics. PhD and MS-T students are advised to take the in-person version during the spring semester of their first year.
- MEGN 505 Advanced Dynamics. PhD and MS-T students are advised to take the in-person version during the fall semester of their second year.
| Core Classes | Course Number | Course Name | On-Campus | Online | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEGN 502 | Advanced Engineering Analysis | Fall/Spring | Fall | 3 | |
| MEGN 505 | Advanced Dynamics | Fall | Summer | 3 | |
| MEGN 514 | Continuum Mechanics | Spring | Fall | 3 | |
| MEGN 551 | Advanced Fluids | Fall | Spring | 3 | |
| MEGN 571 | Advanced Heat Transfer | Spring | Fall | 3 |
Mechanical Electives
Consider using your ME electives to gain deeper knowledge and experience in ME biomechanics courses.
| Research Focus Area | Course Number | Course Name | Credits | On-Campus | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biomechanics | MEGN 530 | Musculoskeletal Biomechanics | 3 | Spring | |
| MEGN 532 | Experimental Methods in Biomechanics | 3 | Fall Not offered, Fall 2025 | ||
| MEGN 535 | Modeling and Simulation of Human Movement | 3 | Spring | ||
| MEGN 536 | Computational Biomechanics | 3 | Fall | Summer |
Mechanical Electives
Consider using your ME electives to gain deeper knowledge and experience in ME biomechanics courses.
| Research Focus Area | Course Number | Course Name | On-Campus | Online | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biomechanics | MEGN 530 | Musculoskeletal Biomechanics | Spring | 3 | |
| MEGN 532 | Experimental Methods in Biomechanics | Fall Not offered, Fall 2025 | 3 | ||
| MEGN 535 | Modeling and Simulation of Human Movement | Spring | 3 | ||
| MEGN 536 | Computational Biomechanics | Fall | Summer | 3 |
Technical Electives
Your technical electives can be any 500-level or above course taught at Mines. No advisor approval is required – these courses are intended for you to personalize your degree to support your own career objectives.
Biomechanics overlaps with a wide range of other disciplines in compelling ways. Some suggested courses are offered, below:
| Topic Area | Course Number | Course Name | Credits | On-Campus | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials Science | MEGN 510 | Theory of Elasticity | 3 | Fall | Spring |
| MEGN 511 | Fatigue and Fracture | 3 | Fall | Spring | |
| MEGN 517 | Nonlinear Material Behavior | 3 | Spring | Summer Not offered, Summer 2025 |
|
| MTGN 572 | Biomaterials | 3 | Fall | ||
| Robotics and Automation | MEGN 540 | Mechatronics | 3 | Spring | |
| MEGN 544 | Robot Mechanics: Kinetmatics, Dynamics, and Control | 3 | Fall | ||
| Operations and Engineering | MEGN 586 | Linear Optimization | 3 | Fall, even years | |
| MEGN 587 | Nonlinear Optimization | 3 | Fall, even years | ||
| MEGN 592 | Risk and Reliability Engineering Analysis and Design | 3 | Fall | ||
| Finite Element Analysis | FEGN 525 | Advanced FEA Theory and Practice | 3 | Fall, 1st 8 weeks | |
| FEGN 526 | Static and Dynamic Applications in FEA | 3 | Fall, 2nd 8 weeks | ||
| FEGN 527 | Nonlinear Applications in FEA | 3 | Spring, 1st 8 weeks | ||
| FEGN 528 | FEA for Advanced Design Applications | 3 | Spring, 2nd 8 weeks | ||
| Biology | BIOL 500 | Cell Biology and Biochemistry | 3 | Fall | |
| BIOL 501 | Advanced Biochemistry | 3 | Spring | ||
| BIOL 510 | Bioinformatics | 3 | Fall | ||
| BIOL 520 | Systems Biology | 3 | Spring |
Technical Electives
Your technical electives can be any 500-level or above course taught at Mines. No advisor approval is required – these courses are intended for you to personalize your degree to support your own career objectives.
Biomechanics overlaps with a wide range of other disciplines in compelling ways. Some suggested courses are offered, below:
| Topic Area | Course Number | Course Name | On-Campus | Online | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials Science | MEGN 510 | Theory of Elasticity | Fall | Spring | 3 |
| MEGN 511 | Fatigue and Fracture | Fall | Spring | 3 | |
| MEGN 517 | Nonlinear Material Behavior | Spring | Summer | 3 | |
| MTGN 572 | Biomaterials | Fall | 3 | ||
| Robotics and Automation | MEGN 540 | Mechatronics | Spring | 3 | |
| MEGN 544 | Robot Mechanics: Kinetmatics, Dynamics, and Control | Fall | 3 | ||
| Operations and Engineering | MEGN 586 | Linear Optimization | Fall, even years | 3 | |
| MEGN 587 | Nonlinear Optimization | Fall, even years | 3 | ||
| MEGN 592 | Risk and Reliability Engineering Analysis and Design | Fall | |||
| Finite Element Analysis | FEGN 525 | Advanced FEA Theory and Practice | Fall, 1st 8 weeks | 3 | |
| FEGN 526 | Static and Dynamic Applications in FEA | Fall, 2nd 8 weeks | 3 | ||
| FEGN 527 | Nonlinear Applications in FEA | Spring, 1st 8 weeks | 3 | ||
| FEGN 528 | FEA for Advanced Design Applications | Spring, 2nd 8 weeks | 3 | ||
| Biology | BIOL 500 | Cell Biology and Biochemistry | Fall | 3 | |
| BIOL 501 | Advanced Biochemistry | Spring | 3 | ||
| BIOL 510 | Bioinformatics | Fall | 3 | ||
| BIOL 520 | Systems Biology | Spring | 3 |
Biomechanics Faculty
Katie Knaus
Contact
Research Group: MyoEngineering Lab
- Multiscale mechanical interactions of muscle and tendon
- Finite element modeling of 3D muscle and connective tissue structures
- Relationships between mobility performance and musculoskeletal properties that vary with age, sex, exercise, and injury
Anthony Petrella
Contact
Associate Professor and Department Head
Research Group: Computational Biomechanics Group
- Computational biomechanics
- Experimental study of the musculoskeletal system, specifically spine, hip and knee mechanics
- Application of advanced nonlinear finite element analysis methods along with subject-specific anatomy and statistical techniques to simulate spinal function
- Director: FEA Pro Interdisciplinary Graduate Program
Anne Silverman
Contact
Research Group: Functional Biomechanics Laboratory
- Muscular compensations resulting from the use of prosthetic and assistive devices
- Balance regulation during dynamic tasks
- Musculoskeletal modeling analyses to predict optimal treatment interventions
- Relationships between whole-body movement and the development of long-term secondary conditions
Research Groups
- Computational Biomechanics Group
- MyoEngineering Lab
- Computational Biomechanics Group
- Functional Biomechanics Laboratory
- MyoEngineerig Lab
Labs and Capabilities
Computational Biomechanics
The Computational Biomechanics Group (CBG) applies biomechanical simulation to improve the quality of life for patients who suffer from musculoskeletal conditions. Areas of emphasis include spine, knee, and hip mechanics in both amputee and non-amputee populations. CBG research aims to improve the ability to predict musculoskeletal function in meaningful activities of daily living for both (1) individual patients (subject-specific) and (2) realistic patient populations (probabilistic modeling).
CBG researchers employ a broad range of parametric modeling techniques and statistical methods to better quantify the normal variations in anatomical shape, tissue properties, and surgical parameters that affect clinical results. The goal is to improve long-term outcomes and decrease the incidence of revision surgery following orthopaedic procedures.
Contact: Dr. Anthony Petrella (apetrell@mines.edu)
Website: cbg.mines.edu
Functional Biomechanics Laboratory
Researchers in the Functional Biomechanics Lab investigate whole-body biomechanics with experimental and computational approaches. We use gait analysis techniques including motion capture, ground reaction force measurement and electromyography to quantify walking mechanics. We combine these efforts with detailed musculoskeletal models to generate movement simulations. Through these methods, we can determine the biomechanical effects of physical therapy, surgical and device interventions and optimize interventions for individual patients.
- 7-camera Qualisys Oqus 300+ Motion Capture System, 1.3MP, 500Hz frame rate at full resolution
- 4 AMTI OR6-7 Force Plates
- 16-channel Delsys Trigno wireless surface electromyography system including tri-axial accelerometers and two foot switch sensors
Contact: Dr. Anne Silverman (asilverm@mines.edu)
Website: fbl.mines.edu
MYOENGINEERING LAB
Researchers in the MyoEngineering Lab use engineering principles to explain fundamental biomechanics of multiscale muscle design needed to solve problems that will improve human mobility, health, and performance. We apply our mechanical engineering expertise to myology, the study of muscle structure-function. We create detailed computer simulations of complex muscle structures, which we inform and test with innovative experimental measurements of human biomechanics and physiology. We aim to understand muscle design at different scales, from muscle-tendon unit design that determines muscle function as complex biological machines to muscle and connective tissue design that determines muscle function as dynamic material. Our goal is to discover how differences in muscle design related to exercise, injury, sex, and age influences mobility performance.
Contact: Dr. Katie Knaus
Website: MyoEngineering Lab
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