Biotensegrity

This article is still missing information.

Tensegrity is a 3D structure based on envelopes and struts, derived from the words tension and integrity. The skeleton, fibrous connective tissues, and skeletal muscle are among the components that form the body. These structures have an interwoven relationship of tension and compression which maintains form and function. The concept has been used to help explain how stresses at one point in the body can lead to referred pain and help inform functional approaches to treating musculoskeletal disorders.

It is a competing model to the lever system for explaining biomechanics. Biotensegrity provides a powerful conceptual framework for understanding the structural organization and mechanics of living organisms, offering a departure from traditional biomechanical models based on levers and continuous compression.

Terminology

"Tensegrity", a term coined by R. Buckminster Fuller, is a blend of the words 'tension' and 'integrity'. It describes a unique systemic structure devised by his student, artist Kenneth Snelson, using struts and cables."

Snelson’s definition states, “Tensegrity describes a closed structural system composed of a set of three or more elongate compression struts within a network of tension tendons, the combined parts mutually supportive in such a way that the struts do not touch one another, but press outwardly against nodal points in the tension network to form a firm, triangulated, prestressed, tension and compression unit.” -- by Kenneth Snelson”. The TensegrityWiki has more definitions here: https://tensegritywiki.com/index.php?title=Definitions_of_Tensegrity

The term biotensegrity on the other hand was introduced by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Stephen Levin in the mid-1970s. It adapts the principles of tensegrity ("tensional integrity"), a structural system described by Buckminster Fuller and exemplified in the sculptures of Kenneth Snelson.

Core Principles

Tensegrity structures achieve stability through a unique arrangement of components: continuous tension members (like cables or tendons) are interconnected with discontinuous compression members (like struts or bars) that do not touch each other. The entire structure is stabilized by a state of pre-stress (or pre-tension) within the tensional network. This inherent tension pulls inward on the compression struts, which push outward, creating a self-stabilized, resilient system. This contrasts fundamentally with conventional architecture (e.g., stacked bricks) where stability relies on continuous compression under gravity.

Biotensegrity proposes that living structures, from the molecular level to the whole organism, utilize these principles (hierarchical application):

Cellular Level (Mechanotransduction): Pioneering work by Dr. Donald Ingber demonstrated that the living cell's cytoskeleton behaves as a tensegrity structure. Tensile actin microfilaments and intermediate filaments are balanced by compression-resistant microtubules and connections to the extracellular matrix (ECM) via integrin receptors. Mechanical forces applied to the cell surface (e.g., via integrins) are transmitted through this pre-stressed network, causing structural rearrangements that extend even to the nucleus. This process, termed mechanotransduction, directly links physical forces and cell shape to biochemical signaling and gene expression, influencing cell behavior such as growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. Cells actively generate and respond to mechanical tension, pulling on each other and the ECM, driving processes like embryonic development and tissue remodeling.

Tissue/Organism Level: At the macroscopic level, the biotensegrity model posits that bones function as the discontinuous compression struts, suspended within the continuous tensional network formed by muscles, tendons, ligaments, and the interconnected fascial system. This perspective explains how the skeleton can provide support and enable movement with remarkable lightness, flexibility, and resilience, avoiding the high stress concentrations inherent in lever-based systems. The implication that disruptions at the macroscopic fascial level could alter the mechanical environment of embedded cells, thereby influencing their behavior via mechanotransduction, highlights a potential multi-scale pathway linking tissue injury to cellular responses and potentially chronic dysfunction.

Functional Implications

The adoption of a biotensegrity architecture confers several advantages to biological systems:

Stability and Mobility: Tensegrity structures are inherently stable yet flexible. They can deform globally under load but return to their original shape when the load is removed, distributing stress throughout the entire structure rather than concentrating it locally. This allows for efficient movement without generating damaging shear forces or bending moments.
Force Transmission & Communication: Because the tension network is continuous, forces applied anywhere in a biotensegrity structure are distributed rapidly throughout the entire system. This allows for immediate, system-wide adaptation to changing loads and provides a form of mechanical communication potentially faster than nerve conduction. However, this efficient transmission depends critically on the integrity of the tensional network. A loss of tension or continuity at any point interrupts this global force distribution and communication, potentially leading to abnormal stress patterns, altered muscle recruitment, and impaired mobility. This concept directly informs diagnostic approaches seeking to identify such points of "loss of tensional continuity".
Energy Efficiency: Biotensegrity structures are highly efficient, requiring minimal energy to maintain stability and allow movement compared to rigid, lever-based systems. The pre-stressed state allows for rapid responses to perturbations with low energy cost.

Videos

Articles

Fullerton2018.pdf - 2.49 MB (f)

Closed kinematic chains - levin 2017.pdf - 1.33 MB (f)

Papers

External Resources

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Susan Lowell de Solórzano for feedback on this article