Multiaxial mechanical behavior of biological materials

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Multiaxial material characterization is crucial for native and engineered biological tissues in various physiological, surgical, and medical device applications.
• Biological tissues and biocompatible elastomers are often incompressible, necessitating advanced testing methods.
• Classic elastomeric constitutive models struggle to fully capture the complex mechanical behaviors of biological tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the application of multiaxial testing techniques to soft tissues.
• To relate these testing methods to modern biomechanical constitutive theories.
• To highlight the challenges in formulating constitutive models for complex tissue behaviors.

Main Methods:

• Planar biaxial testing is employed to achieve a two-dimensional (2-D) stress-state.
• This 2-D stress-state is used to fully characterize the three-dimensional (3-D) mechanical properties of incompressible tissues.
• Experimental evaluation and formulation of constitutive models are key components.

Main Results:

• Multiaxial testing provides a comprehensive approach to characterizing soft tissue mechanics.
• Planar biaxial testing enables detailed analysis of 3-D mechanical properties.
• The study emphasizes the ongoing challenge of accurately modeling complex tissue behaviors.

Conclusions:

• Multiaxial testing, particularly planar biaxial testing, is essential for understanding soft tissue mechanics.
• Accurate constitutive modeling of biological tissues remains a significant challenge in biomechanics.
• This review consolidates knowledge on multiaxial testing and its relevance to constitutive theories.