Assessment and prevention of bone and joint deterioration

We use multi-disciplinary approaches spanning tissue engineering, advanced imaging and multi-scale computational models to study the effect of different diseases on the biomechanical competence of the skeleton.

Scan of a human vertebra showing local deformation
Local deformation of human vertebra with metastasis under compressive load
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We aim to improve current approaches for the early diagnosis and prevention of musculoskeletal diseases.

We use our expertise in multi-scale experimental and computational biomechanics to study many research areas, including: 

  • Osteoarthritis, including the effects of mechanical loads, obesity or inflammation on joint function
  • Back pain due to intervertebral disc degeneration or muscle weakness
  • Tissue interactions and the biomechanics of the tissue interfaces
  • Overload and injuries leading to the failure of soft tissues
  • Fractures due to osteoporosis, sarcopenia, or overloads
  • Monitoring and diagnosis, eg longitudinal imaging and modelling to monitor disease development

Centres of excellence

The University's cross-faculty research centres harness our interdisciplinary expertise to solve the world's most pressing challenges.