Research in biomechanics gathers engineers, clinicians, biologists and materials specialists. They are at the basis of the emergence of many biotechnologies SME-SMI and contribute to the upholding and the growth of their competitiveness facing the fast development of technologies and the international competition. It is mandatory to frequently allow these different specialists to exchange ideas in order to analyse the scientific evolutions and identify the coming challenges in research and innovation in biomechanics. This is the reason why the French-speaking biomechanics researchers created in 1975 the ‘Société de Biomécanique’ (SB). The goal of the SB is to support and promote biomechanics researches. For this purpose, a meeting is annually organised in an academic centre in order to disseminate scientific research and for researchers to participate in the development of the field. This volume contains the proceeding of the 38th Congress of the SB. It is a great honour and pleasure to host in 2013 this meeting in Marseille. Marseille previously hosted this manifestation in 2001. Biomechanics activities in Marseille have since strongly evolved with the rise of an active synergy between clinicians and biomechanical engineers. One of the main targets of the Congress Organising Committee is to highlight such synergies and present joint researches. A part of the congress will be reserved for industries to allow them to share their products with the scientific and medical communities. The purpose of the Congress Organising Committee is also:

• to promote Aix-Marseille University (AMU), Marseille Engineering Schools and research laboratories highlighting the activities being carried out in biomechanics and biotechnologies.
• to report on academic, clinical or industrial biomechanical activities and discuss their perspectives.
• to show collaborations between these different actors.

The Congress of the SB is organised by AMU, Ecole Centrale de Marseille (ECM) and by the French Institute of Science and Technology for Transport (IFSTTAR). The Organising Committee is composed of scientists belonging to laboratories of these institutions: the Institute of Movement Sciences (ISM–AMU and National Center for the Scientific Research (CNRS), the Laboratory of Biomechanics and Applications (LBA–AMU and IFSTTAR) and the Institute de Recherche sur les Phénomènes Hors Equilibre (IRPHE–AMU, ECM and CNRS). This volume contains 142 articles selected by the Scientific Committee. Each article was reviewed by two referees of the committee. There will be 102 oral communications and 40 poster presentations. The articles cover the most active research areas in biomechanics: human movement, posture and sport biomechanics; tissue, osteoarticular and implant biomechanics, biomechanics of impacts and comfort; musculoskeletal biomechanics; circulatory and respiratory biomechanics; and cells, capsule and vesicle biomechanics. The authors and co-authors of these articles are from 18 countries. Finally, I would like to add many thanks to the members of both Scientific and Organising Committees and to the companies and institutions which kindly endorsed and sponsored the event.