A nonlinear anisotropic inverse method for computational dissection of inhomogeneous planar tissues.

ABSTRACT: Quantification of the mechanical behavior of soft tissues is challenging due to their anisotropic, heterogeneous, and nonlinear nature. We present a method for the 'computational dissection' of a tissue, by which we mean the use of computational tools both to identify and to analyze regions within a tissue sample that have different mechanical properties. The approach employs an inverse technique applied to a series of planar biaxial experimental protocols. The aggregated data from multiple protocols provide the basis for (1) segmentation of the tissue into regions of similar properties, (2) linear analysis for the small-strain behavior, assuming uniform, linear, anisotropic behavior within each region, (3) subsequent nonlinear analysis following each individual experimental protocol path

SUBMITTER: Witzenburg CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4996704 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature