Guest Editors:
- Bernhard Schrefler (University of Padova, Padua, Italy)
- Elias Cueto (University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain)
Mechanics is increasingly being recognized as one determinant factor in many biological processes, in general, and in medicine in particular. This issue covers different aspects related to simulation of mechanical phenomena in the wide field of medicine. Many of these biological phenomena constitute a formidable challenge for state-of-the-art computational techniques. Among the reasons for these difficulties we could cite the inherent complexity of biological processes, that very often incorporate complex equations such as advection-diffusion-reaction ones, which are all known to pose difficulties for their numerical treatment. Often, challenges come from the need of extremely fast feedback rates, as is the case in the development of surgical simulators with haptic feedback. These need some 500 Hz-1kHz rates to provide the user with realistic results.In this issue different aspects of the intricate relationship between mechanics and medicine, with emphasis on simulation, will be addressed. These cover from macroscopic descriptions, at the organ level, to the cellular scale, where complex interactions occur. In all of the examples covered, the fascinating influence of mechanics in life sciences will be covered.