Predicting the mechanical response of the vaginal wall in ball burst tests based on histology

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2020

Authors

Ferreira, JPS (Author) FEUP; Rynkevic, R (Author) Other; Pedro Martins (Author) FEUP; Parente, MPL (Author) FEUP; Famaey, NM (Author) Other; Deprest, J (Author) Other; Fernandes, AA (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Journal of Biomedical Materials Research - Part B Applied Biomaterials

Vol. 108

Pages: 1925-1933

ISSN: 1552-4973

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 3 Citations

Scopus - 3 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00R-H6A

DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.34534

Abstract (EN): A histologically motivated (HM) coefficient that establishes a link between tissue's microstructure and material model through histological data is used in the prediction of the mechanical properties of vaginal tissue that is subjected to multiaxial loading conditions. Therefore, the material parameters were based on an HM coefficient obtained from tensile testing and histological data of comparable tissues. Uniaxial tensile test data and histological data were collected from three groups of sheep at different time points in their life cycle, including virgins, pregnant, and parous ewes. From this data, a correlation between material parameters and histological data was obtained. Spherical indentation (ball burst [BB]) tests were then performed in specimens with similar tissue structure. The histological data of these samples were used in conjunction with the correlations already established for the uniaxial samples data, to define the material parameters of the BB samples. Mechanical properties of the BB specimens were predicted through basic histology and using finite element modeling (FEM) simulations, without direct mechanical measurements. The predicted force and displacement values of the FEM simulation displayed a good correlation with the experimental (BB) testing results. No fitting of the BB results was performed. In this way, the use of uniaxial tests coupled with useful histological information offers a promising approach to predicting macroscopic material behavior under multiaxial loading conditions in biomechanics.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9