Mechanics of Human Joints: Artificial Joints vs. Human Joints

Instructor: Ing. Pavel Čípek, Ph.D.

Location: Institute of Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Technická 2896/2, Brno

Time and program of individual meetings will be specified in September.

How do science and technology jointly advance medicine? We will explore the structure and function of human joints, understanding how friction affects their movement. We will learn about the behavior of human joints in terms of friction, wear, and lubrication, and what consequences this has for our bodies. We will understand what happens when a human joint fails and the options available for its repair or replacement. Why is it sometimes necessary to replace a human joint with an artificial one? We will clarify the advantages and disadvantages of this, and why a human joint is sometimes superior. Laboratory demonstrations will show how research in this field is conducted, and we will test various types of artificial joints.

The program includes:

• Excursions to the Anatomical Museum of Prof. Karel Žlábek at Masaryk University and to the FSI facilities, where you will become familiar with the laboratories, ongoing research, and the university environment,
• A total of 20 hours of meetings and teamwork in the laboratory,
• A mini-course on presentation skills,
• A final STEAM Slam – presentations of work and meetings with SOČ winners, researchers, Ph.D. students,
• A certificate of completion – which can be added to the student ePortfolio at https://www.startid.cz/,
• The possibility of continuing with work in SOČ,
• Participation is FREE.