Biomechanical engineering

{{Short description|Branch of engineering}}

{{main|Bioengineering|Biomedical engineering|Biomechanics}}

Biomechanical engineering, also considered a subfield of mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering, combines principles of physics (with a focus on mechanics), biology, and engineering. Topics of interest in this field include (experimental and theoretical) biomechanics, computational mechanics, continuum mechanics, bioinstrumentation, design of implants and prostheses, etc.{{Cite web |date=2019-01-30 |title=7.2.1 Biomechanical Engineering |url=https://me.berkeley.edu/gradbook/7-2-1-biomechanical-engineering/ |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=UC Berkeley Mechanical Engineering |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Biomechanical Engineering Courses {{!}} Mechanical Engineering |url=https://me.stanford.edu/groups/biomechanical-engineering-program/biomechanical-engineering-courses |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=me.stanford.edu |language=en}} This is a highly multidisciplinary field, and engineers with such a background may enter related niche careers, e.g., as an ergonomics consultant, rehabilitation engineer, biomechanics researcher, and biomedical device engineer.{{Cite web |date= |title=What Does a Biomechanical Engineer Do? (Job Titles Included). |url=https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/what-does-biomechanical-engineer-do |access-date=2022-11-14}}

Biomechanical engineers can be seen as mechanical engineers that work in a biomedical context. This is not only due to occasionally mechanical nature of medical devices, but also mechanical engineering tools (such as numerical software packages) are commonly used in analysis of biological materials and biomaterials due to the high importance of their mechanical properties. Some research examples are computer simulation of the osteoarthritis,{{Cite journal |last1=Sajjadinia |first1=Seyed Shayan |last2=Haghpanahi |first2=Mohammad |last3=Razi |first3=Mohammad |date=September 2019 |title=Computational simulation of the multiphasic degeneration of the bone-cartilage unit during osteoarthritis via indentation and unconfined compression tests |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0954411919854011 |journal=Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine |language=en |volume=233 |issue=9 |pages=871–882 |doi=10.1177/0954411919854011 |pmid=31232647 |s2cid=195328808 |issn=0954-4119|url-access=subscription }} patient-specific evaluation of cranial implants for virtual surgical planning,{{Cite journal |last1=Msallem |first1=Bilal |last2=Maintz |first2=Michaela |last3=Halbeisen |first3=Florian S. |last4=Meyer |first4=Simon |last5=Sigron |first5=Guido R. |last6=Sharma |first6=Neha |last7=Cao |first7=Shuaishuai |last8=Thieringer |first8=Florian M. |date=January 2022 |title=Biomechanical Evaluation of Patient-Specific Polymethylmethacrylate Cranial Implants for Virtual Surgical Planning: An In-Vitro Study |journal=Materials |language=en |volume=15 |issue=5 |pages=1970 |doi=10.3390/ma15051970 |issn=1996-1944 |pmc=8911603 |pmid=35269201 |bibcode=2022Mate...15.1970M |doi-access=free }} computed tomography analysis for clinical assessment of osteoporosis,{{Cite journal |last1=Keaveny |first1=T.M. |last2=Clarke |first2=B.L. |last3=Cosman |first3=F. |last4=Orwoll |first4=E.S. |last5=Siris |first5=E.S. |last6=Khosla |first6=S. |last7=Bouxsein |first7=M.L. |date=2020-06-01 |title=Biomechanical Computed Tomography analysis (BCT) for clinical assessment of osteoporosis |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-020-05384-2 |journal=Osteoporosis International |language=en |volume=31 |issue=6 |pages=1025–1048 |doi=10.1007/s00198-020-05384-2 |issn=1433-2965 |pmc=7237403 |pmid=32335687}} to name a few.