Musculoskeletal System

The musculoskeletal system plays a fundamental role in biomechanics due to its main function, human movement. It is also responsible for the posture and stability of the body as well as the protection of human organs. The system consists mainly of the following tissues: muscles, bones, joints (articular cartilage), tendons and ligaments, connected to each other and to organs by connective tissue. By converting chemical to kinetic energy, the muscle generates movement, which is transmitted to the bones via the tendons. In order, to allow a variety of movements, bones are connected by joints with different degrees of freedom. The articular cartilage ensures that there is no friction between the moving bones, while the ligaments stabilise the connections between the tissues and thus also the movement.

The following chapters will focus on the different tissues of the musculoskeletal system, implementing the fundamentals of anatomy, physiology, and their role in human movement.