Image-Based Multiscale Modeling of Collagen Tissue-Equivalents: Comparison of Predicted Fiber Mechanics With Polarimetric Imaging

The mechanical properties of tissue-equivalents and native tissues are derived from the composition and organization of their underlying components. In order to understand, predict, and engineer tissues, it is necessary that we understand how the underlying structure governs macroscopic behavior. Multiscale models provide a means to unravel these relationships, and are most effective when based on the structure of the tissue. In this work, we compared experimentally measured fiber kinematics and the macroscopic mechanical response of cell-compacted collagen cruciforms [1] with predictions from our multiscale model technique [2].