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Module

MEC8049 : Orthopaedic Engineering

  • Offered for Year: 2025/26
  • Module Leader(s): Dr Paul Hyde
  • Owning School: Engineering
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 1 Credit Value: 20
ECTS Credits: 10.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

The aim is to introduce students to themes in medical or orthopaedic engineering where mechanical engineering knowledge is used to create new or improved medical or orthopaedic products or critical analyses, by identifying the current challenges and addressing them developing functional solutions. Anatomy and physiology will briefly be covered with the focus on engineering applications pertinent to orthopaedics in both the mechanical and biological domains.

Outline Of Syllabus

Overview of orthopaedic engineering. Anatomy and physiology. Biomechanics of the human body. Motion capture methods. The science of artificial joint performance. Natural joints compared to artificial joints (hip and knee). Surgical instrumentation. Devices for conservative treatment. An engineering critique of device design with emphasis on avoiding problems, such as wear and fatigue. An overview of standards and testing in orthopedics.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture12:002:00Introduction to the module
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion33:009:00Tutorial exercise preparation
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion428:00112:00Recommended revision for assessments, assuming prior regular independent study throughout teaching.
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture12:002:00Module summary and exam preparation
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture72:0014:00Lectures covering the whole syllabus
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion12:002:00Inspera digital exam covering whole syllabus
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesWorkshops31:003:00Tutorial exercises to put in practice taught content
Guided Independent StudyIndependent study414:0056:00Recommended regular personal study throughout teaching period to follow up taught classes
Total200:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures convey the underlying engineering science and the approaches required to demonstrate analysis to the discipline-specific problems identified. The two individual (summative assessment) reports are designed to get the students to learn the lecture material and read around the lecture material to apply the rational and techniques learnt to review, consolidate, extend and apply knowledge & understanding to initiate and carry out a study of an orthopaedic engineering issue.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Exams
Description Length Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Digital Examination1201A100End of module in class Inspera digital assessment covering whole syllabus. (M2, M4, M5, M6, M8, M13)
Formative Assessments

Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.

Description Semester When Set Comment
Digital Examination1MCanvas Practice Quiz for the digital exam (M2, M4, M5, M6, M13)
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Summative assessment will cover all the orthopaedic engineering topics covered and will take the form of a digital examination with a combination of essay-based and calculation-based questions. Formative assessment will be as a practice exam which will allow the students to become familiar with the examination processes and the format of the exam.

Reading Lists

Timetable