Functional Morphology and Human Functional Anatomy as the Foundation of Personalised Neuromusculoskeletal Model

Dear Colleagues,

Functional morphology and anatomy has long provided a conceptual framework for understanding how the structure of the musculoskeletal system enables, constrains, and shapes human movement. In recent years, the rapid development of personalised neuromusculoskeletal models, digital twins, advanced imaging techniques, and data-driven approaches has renewed interest in subject-specific anatomy as a critical determinant of functional interpretation and prediction. However, despite these advances, many contemporary modelling approaches still rely on generic or oversimplified representations of human anatomy, limiting their explanatory power and translational value.

This Special Issue aims to place human functional morphology and functional anatomy at the centre of personalised neuromusculoskeletal modelling, emphasising that anatomical form is not merely an input parameter, but the primary explanatory layer that constrains model behaviour, validity, and interpretability. The Special Issue will focus on how the subject-specific functional morphology and functional anatomy of the human musculoskeletal system inform, constrain, and validate personalised neuromusculoskeletal models, rather than on computational or engineering novelty per se. We are particularly interested in contributions that explicitly demonstrate how anatomical variability, muscle architecture, tendon and fascia morphology, or structural organisation influence functional outcomes, model predictions, or clinical and performance-related interpretations. Comparative or translational perspectives are welcome only when they directly inform human functional anatomy or musculoskeletal function.

By bringing together anatomists, morphologists, biomechanists, clinicians, and movement scientists, we hope to strengthen the anatomical foundations of personalised modelling and promote anatomically informed approaches that bridge basic science, clinical application, and human movement analysis.

Prof. Dr. Luis A. Arráez-Aybar
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• functional morphology
• human functional anatomy
• personalised neuromusculoskeletal modelling
• musculoskeletal architecture
• anatomical variability
• muscle–tendon morphology
• human movement biomechanics