Comparison of 2-D Fiber Network Orientation Measurement Methods

The mechanical properties of most soft tissues are dependent on the underlying network of collagen fibers, proteoglycans, and other extracellular matrix components [1]. Similarly, the properties of in vitro tissue analogs, often created from collagen or fibrin gels, are also dependent on the organization of the biopolymers within [2]. In both materials, the overall mechanical response is inherently multi-scale and dynamic. To understand the interplay between scales a satisfactory description of the microstructure must be obtained that is both tractable for modeling purposes and faithful to the essential physics of the tissue.