A microcontinuum model for mechanical properties of esophageal tissue: experimental methodology and constitutive analysis

Ann Biomed Eng. 2014 Jan;42(1):62-72. doi: 10.1007/s10439-013-0897-0. Epub 2013 Aug 23.

Abstract

Accurate material properties of tissues are a key factor for the improvement of medical procedures and treatments. Experimental data are essential in order to formulate and validate a useful constitutive model for predicting the mechanical behavior of tissues in these procedures. This study develops a comprehensive experimental protocol at multiple length scale levels in order to obtain stress-strain curves for esophagus tissue. This paper compares two different models: a conventional, non-linear elastic model, and a microcontinuum model based on fiber rearrangement. Also, a detailed description of the experimental procedure is provided. While the focus was on esophageal tissues, the experimental procedure and microcontinuum are considered widely applicable to other samples of soft tissue.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Esophagus*
  • Models, Biological*
  • Swine