Fiber Rearrangement and Matrix Compression in Soft Tissues: Multiscale Hypoelasticity and Application to Tendon.

ABSTRACT: It is widely accepted that the nonlinear macroscopic mechanical behavior of soft tissue is governed by fiber straightening and re-orientation. Here, we provide a quantitative assessment of this phenomenon, by means of a continuum micromechanics approach. Given the negligibly small bending stiffness of crimped fibers, the latter are represented through a number of hypoelastic straight fiber phases with different orientations, being embedded into a hypoelastic matrix phase. The corresponding representative volume element (RVE) hosting these phases is subjected to "macroscopic" strain rates, which are downscaled to fiber and matrix strain rates on the one hand, and to fiber spins on the other hand. This gives quantitative access to the fiber decrimping (or straightening) phenomenon under non-

SUBMITTER: Morin C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8546211 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature