Do you have extra bones in your knee?
This event is part of the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition 2023.
What is anthroengineering? Why do some individuals have an extra bone behind their knee called the fabella?
The tangible benefit of transdisciplinary, anthroengineering research (anthropology + engineering) can be seen in our expanded understanding of the fabella. The fabella is a sesamoid in the knee, which we have shown is 3.5x more common in humans now than 100 years ago, has a unique evolutionary history in primates, and offers a biomechanical advantage when walking bipedally.
Michael Berthaume (UK Young Academy) is Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head of Division in Mechanical Engineering and Design at London South Bank University (LSBU).
Attending the event
This drop-in activity will be held in the Wolfson 2 room at the following times:
Wednesday 5 July 2023, 10am — 4.30pm.
Thursday 6 July 2023, 10am — 4.30pm.
- Free to attend
- In person only
- No registration required
- Suitable for everyone - If you are 18+ and want to find out if you have a fabella, come on in to get an ultrasound of your knee (please wear shorts, if possible).
- Travel and accessibility information - contact us directly to arrange any specific accessibility requirements
- Food and drink will be available for purchase at our onsite café
For all enquiries, please email us.