Giovanni Alfonso Borelli--the father of biomechanics

Abstract

Giovanni Alfonso Borelli is often described as the father of biomechanics. He was born in Naples in 1608. His De Motu Animalium, published in 1680, extended to biology the rigorous analytical methods developed by Galileo in the field of mechanics. Borelli calculated the forces required for equilibrium in various joints of the human body well before Newton published The Laws of Motion Borelli was the first to understand that the levers of the musculoskeletal system magnify motion rather than force, so that muscles must produce much larger forces than those resisting the motion. Borelli died in Rome on December 31, 1679, but his impressive body of original work helped inspire a great number of future scientists, microscopists, and inventors. The highest honor bestowed by the American Society of Biomechanics is the Giovanni Borelli Award.