Walking on water: the biomechanics of Michael A. MacConaill (1902-1987).

Biomechanics is a subject that draws on knowledge from many disciplines. One of its great practitioners in the last century was the Irish anatomist M.A. MacConaill. In this paper, we review some of MacConaill's fundamental contributions to biomechanics, namely: the hydrodynamic theory of synovial joint lubrication, the kinematics of joint motion and conjunct rotations; and the theory of spurt and shunt muscles. The aim is to revisit these topics in the light of current research, and to draw some conclusions about the import of his research in the context of recent developments in the field. The paper concludes with a discussion of science in Ireland, the development of the field of biomechanics since MacConaill's time, and some other matters.