More and more frequently, computational biomechanics deals with problems where the portion of
physical reality to be modelled spans over such a large range of spatial and temporal dimensions,
that it is impossible to represent it as a single space-time continuum. We are forced to consider
multiple space-time continua, each representing the phenomenon of interest at a characteristic
space-time scale. Multiscale models describe a complex process across multiple scales, and account
for how quantities transform as we move from one scale to another. This review offers a set of
definitions for this emerging field, and provides a brief summary of the most recent developments
on multiscale modelling in biomechanics. Of all possible perspectives, we chose that of the modelling
intent, which vastly affect the nature and the structure of each research activity. To the purpose we
organised all papers reviewed in three categories: さcausal confirmationざ, where multiscale models
are used as materialisations of the causation theories; さpredictive accuracyざ, where multiscale
modelling is aimed to improve the predictive accuracy; and さdetermination of effectざ, where
multiscale modelling is used to model how a change at one scale manifest in an effect at another,
radically different space-time scale. Consistently with the how the volume of computational
biomechanics research is distributed across application targets, we extensively reviewed papers
targeting the musculoskeletal and the cardiovascular system, and covered only a few exemplary
papers targeting other organ systems. The review shows a research sub-domain still in its infancy,
where causal confirmation papers remain the most common.
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)