Background: The biomechanical behavior of the human abdominal aorta has been studied with great interest primarily due to its propensity to develop such maladies as atherosclerotic occlusive disease, dissections, and aneurysms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the age-related biaxial biomechanical behavior of human infrarenal aortic tissue. Methods of Approach: A total of 18 samples (13 autopsy, 5 organ donor) were harvested from patients in each of three age groups: Group 1 old, Group 2 (between 30 and 60 years old, and Group 3 old, Each specimen was tested biaxially using a tension-controlled protocol which spanned a large portion of the strain plane. Response functions fit to experimental data were used as a tool to guide the appropriate choice of the strain energy function Results: Under an equibiaxial tension of 120 N/m, the average peak stretch values in the circumferential direction for Groups 1, 2, and 3 were and respectively, while the peak stretch values in the longitudinal direction were and respectively. There were no significant differences between the average longitudinal and circumferential peak stretch within each group but both of these values were significantly less for Groups 2 and 3 when compared to Group 1. Patients in Group 1 were modeled using a polynomial strain energy function while patients in Groups 2 and 3 were modeled using an exponential form of suggesting an age-dependent shift in the mechanical response of this tissue. Conclusion: The biaxial tensile testing results reported here are, to our knowledge, the first given for the human infrarenal aorta and reinforce the importance of determining the functional form of from experimental data. Such information may be useful for the clinician or researcher in identifying key changes in the biomechanical response of abdominal aorta in the presence of an aneurysm.
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December 2004
Technical Papers
Age Dependency of the Biaxial Biomechanical Behavior of Human Abdominal Aorta
Jonathan P. Vande Geest,
Jonathan P. Vande Geest
Department of Surgery and Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
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Michael S. Sacks,
Michael S. Sacks
Department of Bioengineering, Division of Vascular Surgery, and McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
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David A. Vorp
David A. Vorp
Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Bioengineering, and McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Search for other works by this author on:
Jonathan P. Vande Geest
Department of Surgery and Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Michael S. Sacks
Department of Bioengineering, Division of Vascular Surgery, and McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
David A. Vorp
Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Bioengineering, and McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Contributed by the Bioengineering Division for publication in the JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICAL ENGINEERING. Manuscript received August 26, 2003; revised manuscript received June 25, 2004. Associate Editor: Jay D. Humphrey.
J Biomech Eng. Dec 2004, 126(6): 815-822 (8 pages)
Published Online: February 4, 2005
Article history
Revised:
August 26, 2003
Revised:
June 25, 2004
Online:
February 4, 2005
Citation
Geest, J. P. V., Sacks, M. S., and Vorp, D. A. (February 4, 2005). "Age Dependency of the Biaxial Biomechanical Behavior of Human Abdominal Aorta ." ASME. J Biomech Eng. December 2004; 126(6): 815–822. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1824121
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