Orthopedic biomechanics is about discovering and potentially optimizing the mechanical stresses experienced by normal, diseased, injured, or surgically treated bones, joints, and soft tissues. This subfield of study is particularly influenced by orthopedic surgeons and biomechanical engineers. Orthopedic surgeons treat patients by performing procedures like total or partial joint replacement, bone fracture repair, soft tissue repair, limb deformity correction, and bone tumor removal. Biomechanical engineers discover the basic mechanical properties of human tissues, design and test the structural stress limits of orthopaedic implants, and develop new and improved biological and artificial biomaterials.