After successful completion of the course, students are able to explain the basics principles of point, rigid body, linear continuum and fluid mechanics including static equilibrium, motion, dynamics, stress, strain and flow, to apply the principles of dimensional analysis and scaling laws, to derive the biomechanical principles of the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems, including musculoskeletal forces, muscle structure and force generation mechanics of gait and inverse dynamics, strains and stresses in bone due to physiological loads, blood flow in the heart, lung, arteries and veins – structure of the heart, arteries and veins, to describe the anatomy of the musculoskeletal and the cardiovascular system as well as to solve mechanical and biomechanical problems.
Short review of vector and tensor algebra, point mechanics and rigid body mechanics Motion, dynamics, equilibrium, energetics and constitutive behaviour.
Biomechanical principles of the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems:
Musculoskeletal forces
Muscle structure and force generation
Mechanics of gait and inverse dynamics
Infinitesimal tissue strains and stresses
Blood flow in the heart, lung, arteries and veins – structure of the heart, arteries and veins
Classical Lecture. Solving of example biomechanics problems within class (formative assessment), where the sutdent get a problem sheet one week in adanvacne and are asked to solve the specified problems, which are adherent to the material discussed in the lectures. Subsequently, homework assignments are distributed (summative assesment), which have to be solved by students invidiually and handed in. The points obtained from the homewrk assignments count towards the final grade with a weight of 30%
Graded homework and two written exams (part I and II). Each part has to be passed successfully for obtaining a positive grade (only exception: if a very good score has been obtained in the homework and one of the written exams the other exam may have a fail grade). For students who missed one or both exams or who want to improve their grade, one additional exam for each part will be offered, within the winter semester (part I) and at the beginning of the summer semester (part II), respectively.
Important note - regarding Covid-19 situation
As per the regulations of TU Wien - the two written exams will, until further notice be held in an online format (Zoom). This requires all participants to have at least one device for filming themselves and their desk during the exam. The device is to be placed about 1.5 m away, such that both the participant and their desk is wihin the field of view. Exam questions, can either be printed out, just prior to the start of the exam, viewed on a second device, of copied by hand.
The desk used mu be emptty, except for:
exactly 8 sheets of emtpy DIN-A4 paper, pen(s) and pencil(s), eraser, non-programmable claculator, student ID, drink (e.g. water) in a trnaslucent container without label, formula sheet (1 DIN-A4 sheet, handwritten on one side only).
Due to these circumstances, the exam will take longer than a normal in class examination and will start in the late afternoon.
A mock exam session will be held prior to the first exam for students to try out this modality and to ask administrative questions.
Please note, that individual students may be requested for a post-exam interview, to prevent cheating. This will be done especially in cases where content has seemingly been directly copied from lecture slides. The Post-exam interview will in these cases be used, to confirm or to disallow points gathered during the exam.
