Functional Biomechanics

The Functional Biomechanics Research Group strives to solve clinically motivated questions on diseases and conditions of the musculoskeletal system and to translate results of laboratory studies into the clinic. The joints of the human body perform fascinatingly complex movement patterns which involve the perfect interplay of many different factors. The research group is on its way to understand this system better to improve the treatment and rehabilitation of orthopaedic and trauma patients.

Members of the research group focus on three main fields of investigation. First, the research group aims to develop and optimize methods to understand the in vivo mechanosensitivity of musculoskeletal tissue​. The goal is to design interventions – mechanical or pharmaceutical – that prevent or delay the onset of osteoarthritis or slow down its rate of progression. Second, clinical questions relating to diagnostics, prevention and therapy of disease related gait and movement patterns are answered in multidisciplinary research teams of clinicians, movement scientists, engineers, and physiotherapists. Here, the research group combines novel portable IMU (Inertial Measurement Units) systems with camera-based motion analysis, novel markerless motion capture technologies and measurements of muscle activity, muscle strength and balance to identify the relevant factors of injury and disease mechanisms and the respective treatment. The third field of research is centred on innovation and product development within the field of functional biomechanics. Having established a long series of innovation together with orthopaedic surgeons at the Schulthess Clinic Zurich we now work on establishing protocols for based on different sensors for measuring shoulder translation in clinical practice, test the biomechanical performance of novel orthopaedic implants in the living patient as well as combinig these functional measurements with clinical registries aimed towards outcome-driven value-based health care.