Orthopaedic engineering is a rapidly evolving field at the interface of biomechanics, biomaterials, medical device design, computational modelling, rehabilitation science and clinical translation. It addresses the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and functional restoration of musculoskeletal disease and injury, from tissue- and joint-level mechanics to whole-body movement, implant performance and patient-specific rehabilitation. As biomedical engineering increasingly moves towards personalised, data-rich and clinically integrated solutions, orthopaedic engineering has become central to improving mobility, reducing pain, extending implant longevity and supporting healthy ageing. This journal collection is aligned with the BioMedEng26 conference in Liverpool, which will bring together researchers, clinicians and industry partners to share emerging technologies, translational challenges and new partnerships in biomedical engineering.

The goal of this Research Topic is to capture high-quality, publication-ready advances in orthopaedic engineering arising from the BioMedEng26 community, particularly from strong conference abstracts that can be developed into full journal manuscripts. The field faces several pressing challenges: improving the biological and mechanical integration of implants, translating computational and experimental models into clinical decision-making, designing patient-specific devices and rehabilitation strategies, and ensuring that new technologies are robust, manufacturable, regulatory-aware, and clinically meaningful. Recent advances in AI and machine learning, digital twins, wearable and implantable sensors, additive manufacturing, robotic and image-guided interventions, advanced biomaterials, and multiscale biomechanical modelling provide new opportunities to address these challenges. This Research Topic seeks a wide range of contributions, including moving beyond proof-of-concept studies and demonstrating clear methodological rigour, translational relevance and potential impact on musculoskeletal healthcare.

We invite submissions addressing the full breadth of orthopaedic engineering, including but not limited to: musculoskeletal biomechanics; prosthetics and orthotics; implant, fixation and medical device design; computational modelling and simulation; digital twins and patient-specific planning; additive manufacturing and metamaterials for orthopaedic applications; biomaterials, tissue engineering and regenerative strategies; wearable and implantable technologies; rehabilitation engineering; robotics and image-guided intervention; gait, footwear and sport biomechanics; AI/ML methods for musculoskeletal assessment; and regulatory, translational or commercialisation pathways for orthopaedic technologies. We welcome original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, methods papers, translational case studies and perspective articles. Authors presenting strong abstracts at BioMedEng26 will be especially encouraged to expand their work into full manuscripts for consideration in this collection.