Structural 3-D Constitutive Model for the Passive Arterial Media and Its Experimental Validation

The mechanical properties of arteries are of essential importance in hemodynamics and blood wave propagation along the arterial tree. They play a pivotal role in determining the local state of micro-stress imposed on the vessel cells and the cells’ consequent biological reaction. The wall is mechanically nonlinear, anisotropic and heterogeneous, and subjected in the unloaded state to residual stress and strain. Reliable model prediction of arterial response under physiological loads and pathological conditions could help clarify their function, and shed light on the processes leading to initiation and progression of diseases and their clinical treatment.