The University of Seville (US) and the Pablo de Olavide University (UPO) have joined forces to launch Flexor Biomechanics , a business project with pioneering technology . This initiative arose from a need expressed by the former head of medical services at Sevilla Football Club for a reliable test to objectively measure the behavior of footballers' muscles . Real Betis Balompié also expressed interest in this device last year, and it has now been selected to participate in the thirteenth edition of the Transfiere Forum , held in Malaga from March 20-22. The forum aims to connect the national innovation ecosystem with businesses, fostering the transfer of scientific and technological knowledge.

Both universities have spent over ten years perfecting the machine , which is currently in the prototype manufacturing phase, with the aim of launching it on the market in 2025. Hospitals, medical centers, sports facilities, rehabilitation centers, and research institutions have already expressed interest in Flexor Biomechanics ' results, eagerly awaiting its arrival

The device obtains quantitative data in just a few minutes, determining certain mechanical properties of the lower limb muscles. This allows for monitoring the individual progress of athletes over time. Another application could be analyzing the recovery process of an individual who has suffered an injury, during post-operative recovery, or in cases of sarcopenia—the loss of muscle mass due to aging.

The key lies in the fact that the result is an objective numerical value and does not depend on the will of the person undergoing the test. Furthermore, it is a non-stressful and non-invasive test, unlike other procedures. The initial idea was to use engineering and mechanical principles to characterize the response of muscles in their ability to generate movement by measuring the stiffness and viscosity of the muscle-tendon complexes.

To achieve this, they enlisted the help of Federico París García, a graduate in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences and currently a professor in the Department of Sports and Computer Science at Pablo de Olavide University, who developed his doctoral thesis specifically to build this device. "When a person suffers an injury affecting the plantar flexors, such as a muscle fiber tear in the calf muscles, an immobilization process is usually carried out. If this is maintained over time, it leads to muscle atrophy, altering its viscoelastic properties," explains Professor París García.

Therefore, the device is geared towards hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and other training or high-performance facilities that wish to monitor injury recovery. "Since muscles have the ability to modulate their response according to the demands placed upon them, it is necessary to develop a protocol that encompasses different testing loads to obtain a comprehensive assessment.".

This is explained by Alberto Barroso Caro, professor in the Department of Continuum Mechanics and Structural Theory at the Higher Technical School of Engineering of the University of Seville. To achieve this, professors from both universities have invented a mechanical system of movable masses within the device, capable of exerting different forces on the knee. A slight impact causes the foreleg to oscillate involuntarily. All of this is monitored by computer software created specifically for this purpose and integrated into the device, which automatically controls all parameters. This software has undergone several modifications, evolving according to the needs of the test.

"The mechanical response of the muscle-tendon complex depends, in turn, on the behavior of its component elements (muscle and tendon tissue)," the researchers explain. But this unique device provides, in a maximum of 15 minutes, much more detailed information on the viscoelastic properties of the entire system, allowing evaluators to make more informed decisions regarding both improving physical performance and assessing musculoskeletal injuries, thus enhancing potential treatments.

With a target date of 2025, the team is already planning to develop a smaller prototype to achieve the same purpose in the upper limbs. This would help monitor the progress of patients with upper body difficulties or calibrate performance in racket sports. It's yet another challenge for Flexor Biomechanics, a combination of ingenuity, innovation, and tenacity in a business project that knows no bounds in its ambition.