BIASMECHANICS: Does an unconscious bias still persist in biomechanics, positioning males as the default in human research? A meta-analysis on the Journal of Biomechanics 2024 publications.

van der Kruk, E.

Articles published in the Journal of Biomechanics (JBM) still reflect unconscious bias, with males positioned as the default in human research. This meta-analysis on the JBM articles of 2024 reveals a disparity in the representation of females in the most recent research studies, showing a higher prevalence of male-dominated studies. Of particular concern is the lack of transparency in male-only studies, which often lack justification of their single-gender focus, whereas female-only studies typically provide clear reasoning. This inconsistency not only lacks accountability but also reinforces the notion that male data is the standard in biomechanics research. While there are valid scientific reasons for focusing on specific sex groups—such as conditions that affect one gender more than the other—this should not be the default approach. By collectively affirming as a scientific community that, except for legitimate scientific reasons, we oppose the exclusion of women, we can shift the default approach in our research studies.

What the %PCSA? Addressing Diversity in Lower-Limb
Musculoskeletal Models: Age- and Sex-related Differences in PCSA and Muscle Mass.

R. Maarleveld , H.E.J. Veeger, F.C.T. van der Helm, J. Son, R.L. Lieber & E. van der Kruk

This review provides an overview on experimentally derived strength
parameters, including physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA), muscle mass (Mm), and relative
muscle mass (%Mm), which is the relative distribution of muscle mass across the leg. We analysed
differences by age and sex, and compared open-source lower limb MSK model parameters with
experimental data. Our dataset, with records dating back to 1884, shows that
uniformly increasing all maximum isometric forces in MSK models does not capture key muscle ratio
differences due to age and sex. Current MSK models do not accurately represent muscle mass distribution for specific age or sex groups, and none of them accurately reflect female
muscle mass distribution.

Does diversity in musculoskeletel modelling matter?

Judith Cueto Fernandez, Ajay Seth, Jaap Harlaar, Eline van der Kruk

Currently, musculoskeletal (MSK) models can be personalized by processing medical imaging data, like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT), which is time-consuming and costly. In the absence of medical imaging, it is common to linearly scale (no deformations) a generic MSK model with male bone geometries to resemble an individual. The aim of our project is to develop a pipeline to enable the creation of personalized musculoskeletal models from optical 3D body surface scans. This abstract shows preliminary data emphasizing the differences in anatomical bony landmarks, joint centres and muscle moment arms between a MSK model with personalized geometries and two linearly scaled generic models in females.