Experimental Musculoskeletal Medicine

Welcome to the website of the Chair of Experimental Musculoskeletal Medicine at Saarland University!

As a surgical department specialising in musculoskeletal research, we focus on in vivo measurements, utilising new materials and biomechanical simulations in combination with clinical studies and methods from physiology and computer science. The chair was initially established in March 2021 in collaboration with the Werner Siemens Foundation as an endowed chair within the framework of the ‘Smart Implants’ project, and was re-established by the University of Saarland under a new name in March 2026. 

In addition to fracture healing, we are researching the musculoskeletal system during immobilisation and the ageing process. We are investigating immobilisation primarily in the context of space travel, for example in bed rest studies, on people who stay in an Antarctic station for an extended period of time, and on astronauts on the the International Space Station. Here we are involved in large, international studies in cooperation with NASA, ESA and DLR. We are also interested in musculoskeletal ageing processes and the age-related decline in physical performance.