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Updated: Jun 25, 2026
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Published on: August 13, 2019
Methodology for biomechanical testing of fresh anterior wall vaginal samples from postmenopausal women undergoing
Philippe E Zimmern1, Robert C Eberhart, Aradhana Bhatt
1Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas 75390-9110, USA. philippe.zimmern@utsouthwestern.edu
Goal:
To explore the methodological challenges of biomechanical testing of freshly harvested human anterior vaginal wall (HAVW) samples.
Method:
Longitudinal full-thickness samples of HAVW were excised during cystocele repair in postmenopausal women and age-matched controls. Two methods of tissue storage during transport were compared. All samples were prepared for uniaxial testing within 2 hr of harvest and loaded at a rate of 0.5 mm/sec, until irreversible deformation was observed. Young's modulus and other parameters were extracted from the tensile stress-strain curves.
Results:
Samples were obtained over 2 years from 42 patients. Significant differences in biomechanical parameters were noted based on the degree of hydration of the tissue, suggesting that the wetter samples were mechanically weaker.
Conclusions:
This study reports on a new method for testing the biomechanical properties of freshly harvested HAVW tissues and the impact of tissue hydration during transport between the operating room and the testing lab.
