Symmetry and Asymmetry in Biomechanics: Assessment, Modeling and Applications
A Special Issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994) belonging to the section "E: Life Sciences".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2027 | Viewed by 284
Editors
2. E4Sport-Human Peformance Lab, Polo Territoriale di Lecco, Politecnico di Milano, Via G. Previati 1/c, 23900 Lecco, Italy
Interests: bioengineering; movement analysis; clinical biomechanics; rehabilitation; sport biomechanics; musculoskeletal modeling
2. IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, San Giuseppe Hospital, 28824 Verbania, Italy
Interests: bioengineering; movement analysis; biomechanics; rehabilitation; healthcare, analysis of biological systems and e-health; technologies for diagnosis, therapy and rehabilitation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Symmetry and asymmetry are fundamental concepts in biomechanics, providing key information on the mechanisms underlying human movement, functional performance, and motor control. Symmetrical movement patterns are often associated with efficient load distribution, movement coordination, and optimal mechanical function, while asymmetries may reflect physiological adaptations, sport-specific demands, compensatory strategies, or the presence of pathological conditions. The assessment of symmetry and asymmetry has therefore become a key component of biomechanical investigations across a wide range of applications, including clinical assessment, rehabilitation, sports performance, and movement analysis. In clinical populations, asymmetries can help characterize the functional consequences of musculoskeletal and neurological disorders and can serve as useful indicators of recovery following surgery or rehabilitation interventions. In sports settings, movement asymmetries are frequently investigated to better understand their relationship with performance, fatigue, and injury risk. Advances in motion capture systems, wearable technologies, and computational modeling have further expanded the opportunities to quantify and interpret symmetry-related phenomena in human movement.
Despite its widespread use, the study of symmetry and asymmetry still presents several scientific and methodological challenges. The complexity of human movement, combined with individual variability, task specificity, and differences in measurement techniques, often complicates the interpretation of results and limits comparisons across studies. Consequently, there is a growing need for robust methodologies, validated assessment tools, novel symmetry indices, and musculoskeletal modeling approaches capable of providing a more comprehensive understanding of symmetry and asymmetry in both healthy and pathological conditions.
We are pleased to announce this Special Issue dedicated to the role of symmetry and asymmetry in biomechanics and human movement science. This Special Issue welcomes original research articles and reviews addressing the assessment, characterization, and interpretation of symmetry and asymmetry across clinical, rehabilitation, sports, and methodological contexts. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the identification and analysis of movement asymmetries associated with musculoskeletal, orthopedic, or neurological disorders; the recovery of symmetry following rehabilitation, surgery, or therapeutic interventions; the relationship between asymmetry, performance, fatigue, and injury risk in sports; musculoskeletal and neuromuscular modeling approaches; gait and movement analysis; wearable and sensor-based technologies for symmetry assessment; and the development, validation, and comparison of novel symmetry metrics and indices. Through this Special Issue, we aim to bring together researchers from different disciplines to advance the understanding of symmetry and asymmetry in human movement and to promote innovative methodologies with potential applications in clinical practice, rehabilitation, and sports science.
Dr. Lucia Donno
Dr. Veronica Cimolin
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Symmetry is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- symmetry
- asymmetry
- movement analysis
- clinical biomechanics
- rehabilitation
- sport biomechanics
- injury prevention
- musculoskeletal modeling
- symmetry indices
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