ABSTRACT
When compared with fabricated mechanical systems, biosystems are extremely complex. The complexity stems from both the geometric and the material properties of the systems. Consider the human frame: Aside from gross symmetry about the sagittal plane (see Chapter 2), there is little if any geometric simplicity. Even the long bones are tapered with noncircular cross sections. The material properties are even more irregular with little or no linearity, homogeneity, or isotropy.
