Parametric study of a Hill-type hyperelastic skeletal muscle model

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Computational Biology
• Muscle Physiology

Background:

• Hill's one-dimensional model is foundational for 3D skeletal muscle constitutive models.
• Many material parameters lack clear physical meaning or experimental determination methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a parametric study of a Hill-type hyperelastic skeletal muscle model.
• To investigate the physical meaning and experimental determinability of model parameters.
• To assess the model's predictive capability for rabbit tibialis anterior muscle.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of a 13-parameter Hill-type hyperelastic skeletal muscle model.
• Discussion of parameter values and their ranges.
• Sensitivity analysis of selected parameters using experimental data from rabbit tibialis anterior muscle.

Main Results:

• Identified parameters with physical significance and experimental determinability.
• Established valid value ranges for certain model parameters.
• Demonstrated accurate prediction of experimental muscle behavior through parameter tuning within established ranges.
• Quantified the influence of specific parameters on overall muscle stress.

Conclusions:

• The developed Hill-type hyperelastic model offers a framework for understanding skeletal muscle mechanics.
• Parameter sensitivity analysis provides crucial insights for model refinement and experimental validation.
• The study highlights the potential for experimentally determining key parameters in constitutive muscle models.