World Council of Biomechanics

Congresses

Eighth World Congress of Biomechanics

8 - 12 July 2018 | Dublin, Ireland

The World Congress of Biomechanics is an international meeting held once every four years, rotating among Europe, Asia and the Americas. This, the 8th WCB, will once again bring together engineers, scientists from various disciplines including biology, physics, mathematics, computer science, chemistry and various clinical specialities. 



Matt Wilson
Seventh World Congress of Biomechanics

6 - 11 July 2014 | Boston, Massachusetts

The World Congress of Biomechanics is an international meeting held once every four years, rotating among Europe, Asia and the Americas. This, the 7th WCB, will once again bring together engineers, scientists from various disciplines including biology, physics, mathematics, computer science, chemistry and various clinical specialities. 



Matt Wilson
Sixth World Congress on Biomechanics

1 - 6 August 2010 | Singapore

The 6th World Congress of Biomechanics will be hosted by Biomedical Engineering Society of Singapore (BES) together with the Global Enterprise for Micromechanics and Molecular Medicine (GEM4) and the National University of Singapore (NUS).

We are expecting over 2,000 delegates from all over the World, especially from the Asia Pacific region to attend this congress. Biomechanics covers a wide field such as organ mechanics, tissue mechanics, cell mechanics to molecular mechanics.

At the 6th World Congress of Biomechanics, authors would be presenting the largest experimental studies, technologies and equipment. Special emphasis will be placed on state-of-the-art technology and medical applications, for example in areas of sports medicine and crash injuries.



Matt Wilson
Fifth World Congress on Biomechanics

29 July - 4 August 2006 | Munich

On behalf of the European Society of Biomechanics, I am pleased to invite you to attend our 15 th Conference. This year, in order to reduce overlap between meetings, we will be holding our biennial conference as part of the 5 th World Congress of Biomechanics in Munich, Germany on 29 th July to 4th August 2006.

With this arrangement, the conference will attract scientists from even a wider variety of disciplines, across a broader field of topics and from more diverse geographical locations. The traditional ESB award lectures will be combined with plenary lectures, symposia, special events and discussions of the latest advances in biomechanics. As always, the ESB General Assembly will also be convened and there will be ample opportunities for our members to interact.

I hope that you will find the time to attend this exciting event and look forward to seeing you in Munich.

Matt Wilson
Fourth World Congress on Biomechanics

3 - 8 August 2002 | University of Calgary

The 4th World Congress of Biomechanics was held August 4-9, 2002 in Calgary, Alberta. This congress, which occurs only every four years, is the premier event in biomechanics from the World Council of Biomechanics. The congress was attended by over 1,500 world-leading researchers in all areas of biomechanics, and was sponsored in part by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Whitaker Foundation and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.

The opening ceremony featured Dr Steven Chu, the 1997 Nobel Laureate in physics. More than 1,100 free communications were given, and over 500 symposia speakers were invited.

Chiropractors have become an important element in this world-class event. Five chiropractors were invited to present:

Dr. Greg Kawchuk, Canada's first Chiropractic Research Chair at the University of Calgary, was an invited session chairman. All of the DCs were invited to the session described below.

The first session: Spinal Biomechanics I

Chairperson: Dr. Greg Kawchuk Co-Chair: Dr. Manohar Panjabi

Models for whiplash injury

Dr. Manohar Panjabi, Yale University School of Medicine

The assessment of spinal kinematics during the application of an A-P mobilization

Dr. Alison McGregor, Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine, London

Biomechanical evidence for proprioceptive function of lumbar facet joint capsule

Dr. Partap Khalsa, Stony Brook University

Role of local biomechanics in temporal behavioral responses of painful radiculopathy

Dr. Beth Winkelstein, University of Pennsylvania

In vivo quantification of disc bulging in different annular regions along a radial path

Dr. Greg Kawchuk, University of Calgary

The second session: Spinal Biomechanics II

Chairperson: Dr. Aage InDahl Co-Chair: Dr. Moshe Solomonow

Neuromuscular implications of lumbar viscoelastic tissues

Dr. Moshe Solomonow, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center

Paraspinal muscle spindle responses to biomechanical changes in the spine

Dr. Joel Pickar, Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research, Iowa Spine Research Center, University of Iowa

Changes in range of motion in the cervical spine following spinal manipulation: a review

Dr. Niels Nilsson, University of Southern Denmark

Neck loads during spinal manipulation

Dr. John Triano, Texas Back Institute, and U. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

The sacroiliac joint, intervertebral disc and muscle reflexes

Dr. Aage InDahl

Chiropractic researchers have played a significant role in advancing the interests of the profession as they undertake multidisciplinary and collaborative research initiatives, particularly in a world-class arena such as this Congress. Creating new chiropractic knowledge and transferring it to decision-makers will bring substantial benefits to patients. By building research capacity and infrastructure, the profession of chiropractic is able to more fully integrate with the health care system. Chiropractic researchers are positioned to undertake greater research roles in the health system, in teaching, in industry, in government and in the private sector.

Allan Gotlib,DC Research Programs, Canadian Chiropractic Association, Editor, JCCA Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Matt Wilson
Third World Congress on Biomechanics

2 - 8 August 1998 | Sapporo, Japan

The Third World Congress of Biomechanics (WCB ’98) was held in Sapporo, Japan, on 2-8 August 1998, under the sponsorship of the Science Council of Japan and the Japan National Committee on Biomechanics (JNCB).

The Congress was organised by the request and support of The World Council for Biomechanics which was established in 1990 during The First World Congress of Biomechanics held in La Jolla, California. The purpose of the Council is to provide permanence and stability for periodic meetings of the World Congress of Biomechanics and to communicate information about the World Congresses and associated satellite meetings, as well as about the scientific priorities in biomechanics to as many people interested in the field as possible. The Second Congress was held in Amsterdam in 1994.

In The Third Congress, we had 989 participants including 135 students and 80 accompanying persons from 31 countries (530 from Japan and 459 from abroad). 1047 abstracts were accepted for presentations, which include five plenary lectures, 15 tutorial lectures, 430 presentations at 23 symposia (92 sessions), and 597 presentations for free communication (63 sessions including three poster sessions), although 122 were cancelled.

The themes of the plenary and tutorial lectures and symposia, and the lecturers and organisers of the symposia were selected from the proposals offered from the members of all the committees for organising the Congress, in particular from the members of the Program Committee and the International Advisory Committee. The plenary lectures were:

  1. Haemodynamics and arterial disease (D.N. Ku, Georgia Institute of Technology)

  2. Load and energy aspects in locomotion (B.M. Nigg, The University of Calgary)

  3. Biomechanics in orthopedics - report from the junction of the body and the mind (L. Ryd, University Hospital in Lund)

  4. Imaging and nano-manipulation of single biomolecules at work: working principle of biological molecular machines ( T. Yanagida, Osaka University)

  5. The coronary circulation (N. Westerhof, Free University of Amsterdam)

The tutorial lectures and symposia covered almost all the fields of biomechanics, which included: cellular and molecular biomechanics, cardiovascular biomechanics, respiratory biomechanics, orthopaedic biomechanics, muscle mechanics and movement control, maxillofacial biomechanics, biomechanics of crash injury and impact, locomotion and movement analysis, bioheat transfer and biothermal engineering, development and evaluation of artificial organs, measuring and analytical methods for biomechanics.

The social program of the Congress consisted of a 'get together party' at the Sapporo Factory Hall, an excursion to the historical village of Hokkaido, and banquet at Sapporo beer garden and museum. At the banquet, participants very much enjoyed a tasty Mongolian Genghis Khan barbecue and the world famous Sapporo beer with old and new friends. In addition, there was a guided walk on the Hokkaido University campus and to the Red Bricks (Old Hokkaido Government Building), the Botanical Garden of Hokkaido University, and A Dip into Japanese Traditions (japanese flower arrangement, origami paper craft, calligraphic works, japanese traditional tea ceremony, and japanese kimono dressing-up) were prepared for accompanying persons.

The Congress was held on the campus of Hokkaido University in Sapporo. Sapporo was selected as the site for the Congress, partly because the city is well-known for its wonderful natural beauty, modernised but quiet town, and tasty food, and partly because it is not hot nor humid even in summer, and more comfortable compared with the other big cities in Japan. In fact, the weather was nice during the Congress. Hokkaido University, which is well known for its high quality of research and education as well as for its beautiful campus, is located in the central part of the city Sapporo. Therefore, the Congress participants could enjoy not only the scientific and social programs but also their stay in the city.

During the Congress, meetings of the World Council for Biomechanics were held, and new members and officers of the Council have been elected. The new officers are: Chair, Savio L-Y. Woo (University of Pittsburgh); Vice Chair, Kozaburo Hayashi (Osaka University); Secretary, Leendert Blankevoort (University of Nijmegen); Treasurer, James C.H. Goh (National University of Singapore). The former Chair, Y.C. Fung was named Honorary Chair of the Council. In addition, it has been decided to hold the Fourth Congress in Calgary, Canada, on 3-8 August 2002, with Benno M. Nigg (The University of Calgary) as the Congress Chair.

Kozaburo Hayashi

Matt Wilson
Second World Congress on Biomechanics

10 - 15 July 1994 | Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Merged meetings

9th Meeting of the European Society of Biomechanics 8th International Conference on Mechanics in Medicine and Biology

Abstract selection process

Many of you are awaiting the decision on the abstract(s) submitted as free communication to the Second World Congress of Biomechanics. We are a little behind schedule. The number of abstracts exceeded the expectations. We could not manage to have all decisions made prior to February 1. Shortly after February 15, we mail the letters of notification to you.

Just to give you an idea: we received 1126 abstracts, 30 will be included as an oral presentation in the symposia where we have some free slots. 10 abstracts were selected for the Clinical Biomechanics Award. Of the remaining 1086 abstracts we can accept 371 as oral presentation presented in 53 sessions. We will accept about 540 poster presentations in three poster sessions. Hence we have to reject 175 abstracts.

The symposium organizers have done a good job. They manage to fill 89 sessions with about 400 contributions and in many occasions time for (panel) discussions.

As you may notice the Second World Congress of Biomechanics will be a large meeting. All areas of biomechanics are covered, so each of you will find your share of scientific information. Sufficient time is reserved for the poster presentations and discussions with fellow participants.

I urge you to be patient. The notification of acceptance of you abstract will arrive on time for you to register early and to take advantage of the discount on the registration fee.

I hope to see you all in Amsterdam.

Leendert Blankevoort Secretary General

Matt Wilson
First World Congress on Biomechanics

August 30 - September 4 1990 | La Jolla, California, USA

The field of biomechanics is growing and changing so rapidly, that it has become necessary to gather the world's experts in one place to discuss and present the latest in the field. The First World Congress on Biomechanics will be held August 30-September 4, 1990 at the University of California, San Diego.

Representatives from the countries of Bulgaria, Japan, India, Denmark, USSR, China, and more will be in attendance and will be contributing to interesting presentations, followed by discussion forums. 

This congress will include, for the first time, a chiropractic presentation. Arlan W. Fuhr, D.C. and Paul J. Osterbauer, D.C.; Dr. Jack Winters, internationally renowned muscle modeling expert from Arizona State University (ASU); Joseph Peles, a Ph.D. candidate from ASU; and Kathy Derickson, a graduate engineer from ASU comprise a team of authors who will present their abstract entitled Relations Between Neck Muscle Activity and Screw Axis Parameters of the Head. This abstract represents a new way of estimating kinematics of neck movement in three dimensions. 

Included among the 1200 other papers that will be presented are topics such as: dental mechanics, orthopedic and musculoskeletal mechanics, muscle mechanics and sports medicine, and cardiovascular mechanics. 

This congress will undoubtedly be another exciting example of the mutual benefits of collaboration between chiropractic, other scientific disciplines, and the university systems.

Matt Wilson