International Society of Biomechanics

The International Society of Biomechanics, commonly known as the ISB, is a society dedicated to promoting biomechanics in its various forms. It promotes the study of all areas of biomechanics at the international level, although special emphasis is given to the biomechanics of human movement. The Society encourages international contacts amongst scientists, promotes the dissemination of knowledge, and forms liaisons with national organizations. The Society's membership includes scientists from a variety of disciplines including anatomy, physiology, engineering (mechanical, industrial aerospace, etc.), orthopedics, rehabilitation medicine, sport science and medicine, ergonomics, electro-physiological kinesiology and others.

International Society of Biomechanics
FormationAugust 29th, 1973
Websitehttp://www.isbweb.org/

History

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The decision to establish the society was made at the 3rd International Seminar on Biomechanics held in Rome in 1971. This meeting was organized by the “Working Group on Biomechanics” which was part of the International Council of Sport and Physical Education, which itself was part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). At this meeting on September 29 it was voted to form the ISB at the next meeting. The 4th International Seminar on Biomechanics was held at Penn State University from August 26 until August 31, 1973. The constitution was voted on and approved on August 29.[1] Two hundred and fifty of those present became charter members of the society.

Executive Council

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The ISB is governed by its Executive Council. This council is elected every two years, by ballot, and is composed of officers and council members that represent countries from throughout the world and scientific areas that span all facets of biomechanics. The council, which meets annually, provides leadership for the continued development of the Society. Many on-going activities are performed by Council appointed sub-committees. The council also publishes a quarterly newsletter, known as ISB NOW, to inform members of Society developments and future events.[2]

Congresses

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The ISB was formed in 1973 and has held a conference every other year since then. The counting of the congress started with the 1st International Seminar on Biomechanics held in Zurich in 1967. The list of conferences and their geographical locations are given below.[3]

Conference Number Year Location
I 1967 Zurich, Switzerland
II 1969 Eindhoven, Netherlands
III 1971 Rome, Italy
IV 1973 State College, USA
V 1975 Jyvaskyla, Finland
VI 1977 Copenhagen, Denmark
VII 1979 Warsaw, Poland
VIII 1981 Nagoya, Japan
IX 1983 Waterloo, Canada
X 1985 Umea, Sweden
XI 1987 Amsterdam, Netherlands
XII 1989 Los Angeles, USA
XIII 1991 Perth, Australia
XIV 1993 Paris, France
XV 1995 Jyvaskyla, Finland
XVI 1997 Tokyo, Japan
XVII 1999 Calgary, Canada
XVIII 2001 Zurich, Switzerland
XIX 2003 Dunedin, New Zealand
XX 2005 Cleveland, USA
XXI 2007 Taipei, Taiwan
XXII 2009 Cape Town, South Africa
XXIII 2011 Brussels, Belgium
XXIV 2013 Natal, Brazil
XXV 2015 Glasgow, Scotland
XXVI 2017 Brisbane, Australia
XXVII 2019 Calgary, Canada
XXVIII 2021 Stockholm, Sweden (virtual)
XXIX 2023 Fukuoka, Japan

Wartenweiler Memorial Lecture

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At each ISB Congress the Wartenweiler Memorial Lecture is presented. This lecture is named to honor Jurg Wartenweiler (1915-1976) who was the first president of the ISB. He organized The First International Seminar on Biomechanics in Zürich, Switzerland in 1967. This conference eventually morphed into the biennial ISB Congresses. He was a faculty member at the ETH Zürich. Typically this lecture has been the first academic presentation of the conference. The list of Wartenweiler Memorial Lecturers and their topics follow.[4]

Year Speaker Topic
1977 Giovanni A. Cavagna Efficiency and inefficiency of locomotion.
1979 Marian Alan Weiss Tasks and needs of rehabilitation engineering.
1981 Phillip D. Gollnick Muscle characteristics and biomechanics.
1983 Uros Stanic Movement and electrical stimulation.
1985 Don B. Chaffin Computerized models for occupational biomechanics.
1987 Savio Woo Advances in ligament research.
1989 Benno Nigg Approaches to load analysis for reduction of sports injuries.
1991 James G. Hay Biomechanics of long jumping.
1993 Carlo A. De Luca Limitations of EMG in biomechanics research.
1995 David A. Winter Biokinetics: The synergies of human movement.
1997 V. Reggie Edgerton Force transmissions in mammalian skeletal muscles.
1999 Andrew Huxley Crossbridge action: Present views, prospects & unknowns.
2001 Richard C. Nelson The history of ISB.
2003 Steven Vogel Twist versus bend: Flexibility in the face of flow.
2005 Bruce Latimer Biomechanics and evolution.
2007 Kai-Nan An Application of medical imaging in biomechanics.
2009 Patrick Prendergast Mechanoregulation in the skeletal tissues.
2011 Jan Pieter Clarys The schizophrenic balance of old techniques and new technologies in body composition and their (assumed) support in biomechanics, ergonomics and health care.
2013 Miguel Nicolelis Brain machine interfaces to restore mobility.
2015 Aurelio Cappozzo History of Biomechanics
2017 Jaap Van Dieen Trunk stabilization, adaptations to environment, task and pain
2019 Hugh Herr On the design of bionic leg devices: the science of tissue-synthetic interface
2021 Susan S. Margulies Bridging the species gap: Scaling traumatic brain injury loads and assessments across species to accelerate prevention and diagnosis
2023 Julie Steele Pioneering Women of ISB: Tales from the Archives and Beyond

Muybridge Medal

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The Muybridge Medal

At the ISB Congress every two years, the ISB presents the Muybridge Award. This award is the most prestigious award of the Society and is awarded for career achievements in biomechanics. The award is named after Eadward Muybridge (1830-1904), who was one of the first to use cinematography for the study of human and animal movement. The list of Muybridge Award winners and their lecture topics follow,[5]

Year Speaker Topic
1987 Peter R. Cavanagh Studies in the biomechanics of distance running and plantar pressure distribution.
1989 Gunnar Andersson Spine biomechanics.
1991 R. McNeil Alexander Optimization of structure and movement of the legs of animals.
1993 Malcolm H. Pope Spinal biomechanics.
1995 Savio L-Y. Woo Biomechanics of knee ligament healing, repair and reconstruction.
1997 John Paul Strength requirements for internal and external prostheses.
1999 Paavo Komi Stretch-shortening cycle: a powerful model to study normal and fatigued muscle.
2001 David Winter Gait and balance - from the micro to the macro.
2003 Tetsuo Fukunaga Effects of elastic properties of muscle-tendon complex on sports performances.
2005 Rik Huiskes Bone: The engineer's ultimate dream material
2007 Peter Huijing Epimuscular myofascial force transmission: a historical review and implications for new research.
2009 Mimi Koehl Effects of ambient wind or water flow on locomotion.
2011 Roger Enoka Muscle fatigue – from motor units to clinical symptoms
2013 Benno Nigg From biomechanik to biomechanics to biomechanigg
2015 Kai-Nan An Biomechanics of Upper Extremities
2017 Walter Herzog Reflections on Muscle: or the Accidental Scientist
2019 Ralph Müller From mechanics to mechanomics: a journey through bone
2021 Scott Delp How Muybridge predicted the future of biomechanics and what the 21st century holds
2023 Irene S. Davis Born to Move: Embracing our Evolutionary Legacy

Honorary Member

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The ISB has a number of categories of membership including: student, charter, full, and emeritus. The remaining category is that of honorary member, which is restricted to a few individuals whose work has made outstanding contributions to the development of Biomechanics. The honorary membership currently consists of 16 individuals. Unfortunately some of these members have died (Levan Chkhaidze, James Hay, Ernst Jokl, Chauncey Morehouse, John Paul, Jacquelin Perry, David Winter). The other honorary members and their current academic affiliations are,[6]

  • Peter R. Cavanagh, University of Washington, USA
  • Paavo Komi, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland
  • Hideji Matsui, University of Nagoya, Japan
  • Doris Miller, University of Western Ontario, Canada
  • Mitsumasa Miyashita, University of Tokyo, Japan
  • Richard C. Nelson, Penn State University, USA
  • Benno Nigg, University of Calgary, Canada
  • Robert Norman, University of Waterloo, Canada
  • Fred Yeadon, Loughborough University, UK

Affiliated Groups

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Many other biomechanics groups and societies are affiliate members of the ISB. These groups include:[7]

Technical and Working Groups

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The Society also supports technical and working groups, which are groups of individuals dedicated to enhancing knowledge of specialized areas within biomechanics. Currently active technical sections include,[8]

References

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  1. ^ "ISB Constitution and Codes". International Society of Biomechanics. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  2. ^ "Executive Council and Officers". International Society of Biomechanics. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  3. ^ "ISB Congresses". International Society of Biomechanics. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  4. ^ "Wartenweiler Memorial Lecture". International Society of Biomechanics. Archived from the original on 2014-07-11. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  5. ^ "Muybridge Award". International Society of Biomechanics. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  6. ^ "Honorary Members". International Society of Biomechanics. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  7. ^ "Affiliate Societies". International Society of Biomechanics. Archived from the original on 17 March 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  8. ^ "ISB Technical and Working Groups". International Society of Biomechanics. Archived from the original on 17 March 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.