Mechanical characterization of human gastrocolic ligament until failure

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Trauma Mechanics
• Anatomical Engineering

Background:

• Road accidents frequently cause severe abdominal injuries, including organ hemorrhage.
• Understanding the mechanical properties of abdominal organ attachment systems is vital for predicting injury severity.
• The gastrocolic ligament (GCL) is a key anatomical structure connecting the stomach and transverse colon.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the mechanical properties of the gastrocolic ligament (GCL) under uniaxial tensile loading.
• To evaluate GCL behavior at both low and high strain rates until failure.
• To provide data for finite element models of abdominal trauma.

Main Methods:

• Dissection of 35 GCL samples from 7 embalmed cadavers.
• Uniaxial tensile testing at low (1 mm/s) and high (1 m/s) strain rates.
• Evaluation of the incidence of freezing on mechanical properties.

Main Results:

• GCL samples exhibited a bilinear mechanical response.
• Apparent elastic modulus was ~247 kPa in the first region (<5% strain) and ~690 kPa in the second.
• Average failure stress (σfail) was 131.6±50 kPa and failure strain (εfail) was 29%±8%.

Conclusions:

• The mechanical properties of the GCL were successfully characterized.
• High strain rate loading demonstrated significant sensitivity.
• These findings can enhance computational models for abdominal injury prediction.