Introduction

Abstract

The human being is exposed to mechanical loads throughout his or her life. Besides gravity and forces due to electromagnetic fields, 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.