Introduction

Abstract

The human body is exposed to mechanical loads throughout its life. Besides forces deriving from ubiquitous and penetrating fields such as gravity or forces due to electromagnetic fields which are non-contact in nature and as such effective over distances, there is a great variety of forces acting on the human body from contacts with the surrounding. In addition, numerous forces are generated in the course of physiological processes inside the body in the different organs and tissues. Throughout evolution, all forms of life adapted their physiology to mechanical interactions; some of them to the extent that a proper function in fact requires the influence of forces, for example bone remodelling.