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On the tension-compression switch hypothesis in arterial mechanics
1School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA.
Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials
|February 25, 2020
Summary
The tension-compression switch hypothesis for soft tissue may not be physically sound. This hypothesis can lead to paradoxical fiber behavior and inaccurate mechanical response predictions in soft tissues.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- The tension-compression switch hypothesis simplifies soft tissue mechanics by assuming collagen fibers only contribute in tension.
- This hypothesis posits that compressed fibers are mechanically inactive, with the extracellular matrix dictating the isotropic response.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate the physical basis and implications of the tension-compression switch hypothesis in soft tissue biomechanics.
- To investigate the potential for paradoxical mechanical behavior and model prediction failures when using this hypothesis.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of existing experimental evidence regarding collagen fiber behavior under compression.
- Theoretical examination of the tension-compression switch hypothesis, including its implications for anisotropic models.
- Evaluation of model predictive capabilities in material characterization tests.
Main Results:
- Scant experimental evidence suggests the tension-compression switch hypothesis lacks a completely sound physical basis.
- The hypothesis can lead to paradoxical situations where fibers are simultaneously predicted as tensile and compressive.
- Use of the hypothesis can cause models to fail in predicting mechanical responses during material characterization.
Conclusions:
- The tension-compression switch hypothesis presents significant physical and predictive challenges in soft tissue biomechanics.
- Anisotropic models may offer improved predictive accuracy for soft tissue mechanical responses when not employing this hypothesis.
- Further research is needed to refine models that accurately capture the complex mechanical behavior of collagenous tissues.
Keywords:
Arterial tissueIncompressible hyperelastic orthotropic materialsSimple tensionTension-compression switchMore Related Videos
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