Passive elastic behavior of arterial wall remains difficult to model. Although phenomenological and structural models exist, the question of how the three-dimensional network structure of the collagen in the artery determines its mechanical properties is still open. A model is presented that incorporates a collagen network as well as the noncollagenous material that comprise the artery. The collagen architecture is represented as a network of interconnected fibers, and a neo-Hookean constitutive equation is used to describe the contribution of the noncollagenous matrix. The model is multiscale in that volume-averaging theory is applied to the collagen network, and it is structural in that parameters of the microstructure of the collagen network were considered instead of a macroscopic constitutive law. The computational results provided a good fit to published experimental data for decellularized porcine carotid arteries. The model predicted increased circumferential compliance for increased axial stretch, consistent with previously published reports, and a relatively small sensitivity to open angle. Even at large extensions, the model predicted that the noncollagenous matrix would be in compression, preventing collapse of the collagen network. The incorporation of fiber-fiber interactions led to an accurate model of artery wall behavior with relatively few parameters. The counterintuitive result that the noncollagenous component is in compression during extension and inflation of the tissue suggests that the collagen is important even at small strains, with the noncollagenous components supporting the network, but not resisting the load directly. More accurate representation of the microstructure of the artery wall is needed to explore this issue further.
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August 2007
Technical Papers
Multiscale, Structure-Based Modeling for the Elastic Mechanical Behavior of Arterial Walls
Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos,
Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, 421 Washington Avenue S.E.,
University of Minnesota
, Minneapolis, MN 55455
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Victor H. Barocas
Victor H. Barocas
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
e-mail: baroc001@umn.edu
University of Minnesota
, 7-105 Hasselmo Hall, 312 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Search for other works by this author on:
Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, 421 Washington Avenue S.E.,
University of Minnesota
, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Victor H. Barocas
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
University of Minnesota
, 7-105 Hasselmo Hall, 312 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455e-mail: baroc001@umn.edu
J Biomech Eng. Aug 2007, 129(4): 611-618 (8 pages)
Published Online: January 24, 2007
Article history
Received:
July 12, 2006
Revised:
January 24, 2007
Citation
Stylianopoulos, T., and Barocas, V. H. (January 24, 2007). "Multiscale, Structure-Based Modeling for the Elastic Mechanical Behavior of Arterial Walls." ASME. J Biomech Eng. August 2007; 129(4): 611–618. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2746387
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