NeuRA attends the World Congress of Biomechanics 2018
By Arkiev D’Souza
The World Congress of Biomechanics is the largest global forum for research on the mechanics of biological systems and is the leading international event in the field of biomechanics. The conference covered everything from the cell & molecular level to tissue, organs and the whole body. The 2018 conference included over 4000 delegates from all corners of the globe, making it one of the largest biomechanics meetings ever held.
The conference provided a platform to showcase our research in an international forum. In addition to sharing our findings, it helped facilitate discussion on muscle mechanics and provided an opportunity to set up collaborations. The importance of engaging with international researchers is paramount, as it allows for ideas to be critically appraised by others with expertise in the field. This conference provided a means for us to discuss mechanisms and techniques with other scholars who have similar research interests but different experiences and perspectives.
I presented my work on muscle architecture and intramuscular fat in children with cerebral palsy. Professor Rob Herbert gave a presentation on the history-dependence of muscle following contraction and stretch.
Dr Bart Bolsterlee showcased his work investigating the reliability of muscle architecture reconstructions in the muscles of the forearm. He also presented his latest publication on the muscle architecture measurements in the soleus (calf).
These findings have various contributions to the field of biomechanics. The work related to stretch and contraction has contributed to our understanding of the fundamental mechanical properties of skeletal muscle. The advances in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tractography has enabled us to reconstruct skeletal muscle with an unprecedented level of detail. Applying these techniques to patient populations will help us understand the mechanism of contracture, which commonly features in neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, stroke and multiple sclerosis.