Units

Laboratory for Functional Anatomy

The Laboratoires d'Anatomie, Biomécanique et Organogenèse (LABO, Faculty of Medicine) and d'Anatomie Fonctionnelle (LAF, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences) form a research group dedicated to human and animal anatomy, biomechanics and embryology.  

LABO/LAF's research is organized around complementary themes: 

 - biomechanics, modeling and functional assessment 

 - macroscopic and microscopic anatomy 

 - embryology and teratology 

 - forensic medicine and forensic anthropology 

 - HOX genes and ovarian function

Laboratory of Anatomy, Biomechanics and Organogenesis

The Laboratoires d'Anatomie, Biomécanique et Organogenèse (LABO, Faculty of Medicine) and d'Anatomie Fonctionnelle (LAF, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences) form a research group dedicated to human and animal anatomy, biomechanics and embryology.  

LABO/LAF's research is organized around complementary themes: 

 biomechanics, modeling and functional assessment 

 macroscopic and microscopic anatomy 

 embryology and teratology 

 forensic medicine and forensic anthropology 

 HOX genes and ovarian function 

 Neurobiomechanics 

 Applied physical anthropology in paleoanthropology

Projetcs

Identified osteological collection

Following in the footsteps of the identified osteological collections at Schoten and Châtelet (Belgium's Royal Institute of Natural Sciences), we have - albeit in a much more modest fashion - created a collection within our Forensic Medicine and Forensic Anthropology Unit, bringing together over a hundred femurs and tibias (as well as a few fibulas) from the body bequest service. These pieces have been carefully processed by this service and then labelled and catalogued in our department. 
This collection is particularly useful for studying and comparing new osteological and anthropological parameters in a recent twentieth-century population. Pathology can also be observed, and in particular certain very advanced aspects of gonarthrosis in people of advanced age, as well as osteosynthesis material (total hip and knee prostheses, fracture treatments, etc.). 
The collection can also be used by students of both medicine and physical anthropology, enabling them to carry out some extremely interesting work, given that such osteological series of known age and sex (as well as certain biometric variables such as height and weight for certain individuals) are relatively rare. A number of master's theses and scientific studies have been carried out on this recent collection, notably by students from the universities of Amsterdam and Marseille.

Paleoanthropology

The project focuses on the musculoskeletal system, and involves improving our knowledge of morpho-functional relationships using dissection and cutting-edge technologies and methods developed at LABO, such as musculoskeletal modeling. In collaboration with the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (IRSNB), we are attempting to solve problems linked to human evolution and paleoanthropology using musculoskeletal modeling (e.g. costal, femoral geometry of Neanderthals compared with modern humans, suitability of using digitized casts of fossil hominids instead of originals, complete 3D musculoskeletal modeling and simulation of Spy II Neanderthal walking).  

LABO members are also working on international projects to analyze the potential kinematics of walking and the musculoskeletal structures of breathing in fossil hominids such as Homo naledi.