Flexural mechanical properties of porcine aortic heart valve leaflets

Freshly excised porcine aortic heart valve cusps were subjected to a uni-axial flexural indentation test, from which the rupture characteristics and a functional stiffness parameter were determined. It was found that the flexural mechanical properties of aortic valve cusps (i) are unaffected by their coronary position and (ii) are sensitive to the effect of mechanical preconditioning. The resulting values of the cusp's flexural mechanical properties are intended as a set of reference properties which scaffolds, meant for the tissue engineering of heart valves, must approximate in order to be considered as a functional replacement.