Mechanical characterisation of Dacron graft: Experiments and numerical simulation

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Computational Mechanics

Background:

• Woven Dacron vascular grafts are widely used in surgery.
• Understanding their mechanical properties is crucial for predicting in vivo performance.
• Anisotropic behavior is a key characteristic of these grafts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally and numerically characterize the mechanical behavior of woven Dacron vascular grafts.
• To develop and validate a hyperelastic anisotropic constitutive model.
• To predict graft mechanical response under physiological loading conditions.

Main Methods:

• Uniaxial tensile tests were conducted under different orientations to assess anisotropic behavior.
• A hyperelastic anisotropic constitutive model was adjusted using experimental data.
• Numerical simulations were performed to predict the mechanical response in ring tensile tests.

Main Results:

• The developed model adequately represents the nonlinear elastic region of the Dacron graft.
• The model successfully captures the progressive increase in rigidity and anisotropy upon stretching.
• Simulations showed good agreement with experimental data for the ring tensile test.

Conclusions:

• The hyperelastic anisotropic model provides an accurate representation of Dacron vascular graft mechanics.
• This predictive capability is vital for understanding graft performance under physiological conditions.
• The research supports improved design and clinical application of vascular grafts.