Media Advisory: Biting, chewing, crushing are all part of National Biomechanics Day at UB

BUFFALO, N.Y. — You there, yes you, munching on those crispy barbecue-flavored potato chips. Maybe you never gave much thought to that reliable jaw joint of yours, but it’s been doing a heck of a job ever since you downed your first tater tot.

Exactly how jaw joints work – and how the myriad other bones and joints in the body, human and otherwise, do their work, also known as biomechanics — is the subject of National Biomechanics Day, which will be celebrated from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 12 at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, 955 Main St.

“We know that biomechanics is fascinating and we want to share our excitement for this scientific research and its medical applications with high school and college students,” said Matthew A. Wysocki, a graduate student in UB’s Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences and chair of the committee sponsoring the event. “That’s why we are inviting them to come to the UB medical school on April 12 to celebrate National Biomechanics Day.”

Most student groups will take about two hours going through the stations. Media are invited to attend.

Students will be able to:

·         Personally experience the digital image correlation system to see how it tracks and records movements of the human jaw, and what those data mean for science and medicine.

·         Learn how 3D printers can spit out prostheses practically on demand.

·         Operate a massive material crusher, and learn how the jaws of different mammals — from weasels to sabretooth cats — decimate their prey.

Sponsored by the Functional Anatomy and Vertebrate Evolution (FAVE) lab of the UB Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, National Biomechanics Day is part of an international celebration of biomechanics being promoted in the U.S. by the American Society of Biomechanics.

“Biomechanics, as the study of the physics of the body, human or otherwise, is a cornerstone science that permeates every aspect of our daily lives,” said Jack Tseng, PhD, assistant professor of pathology and anatomical sciences at UB. “All of us think and practice principles of biomechanics without even noticing it. Athletes, physical therapists, factory workers, sedentary office workers and others from all walks of life could improve their competitive performance, increase quality of life for patients, be in tune with their own physical health, or improve injury prevention if everyone understands a bit more about the biomechanical properties of themselves and the living things around them.”

Interested college students, who can attend on their own, and high school teachers who would like to bring a school group should contact Jack Tseng, at jacktsen@buffalo.edu or 716-829-2752.