Strength of Porcine Carotid Arteries As a Function of Strain Rate and Storage Time

The ultimate strength of collagenous blood vessels is important for clinical problems of trauma and plaque rupture. Trauma related to motor vehicle accidents can create strain rates of 100 mm/s. Cyclic fatigue tests may also require high frequencies that may affect the strength properties of the soft tissue. The yield points and ultimate strengths depend on the unfolding of collagen molecules, collagen crosslinks, and the fiber-matrix bonding this composite structure. The non-linear behavior of animal soft tissues makes the determination of a plastic yield point difficult to distinguish. The lack of sources restricts the amount of primary data regarding ultimate strength, strain, frequency dependence, and harvest time dependence. Nonetheless, the mechanics surrounding plaque cap rupture demand measurements of all these parameters.