A piecewise constitutive model for collagen fiber tissues

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Tissue Mechanics

Background:

• Collagen fiber tissues exhibit complex stress-strain behavior.
• Existing models may not fully capture the distinct mechanical responses of different tissue regions.
• Accurate constitutive modeling is crucial for understanding tissue mechanics and failure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a piecewise constitutive model for collagen fiber tissues.
• To individually predict the heel and linear regions of the stress-strain curve.
• To identify physically significant constitutive parameters.

Main Methods:

• A piecewise modeling approach inspired by Meyers et al. (2013).
• Individual prediction of the heel and linear regions of the stress-strain curve.
• Identification of constitutive parameters based on satisfactory prediction of experimental data.

Main Results:

• The piecewise model accurately predicts experimental stress-strain data for collagen fiber tissues.
• Distinct constitutive parameters were identified for the heel and linear regions.
• The model provides a complete representation of the stress-strain curve, including the failure region.

Conclusions:

• The developed piecewise model offers a robust method for characterizing collagen fiber tissue mechanics.
• Precise identification of physically meaningful parameters enhances the predictive capability of the model.
• This approach facilitates a comprehensive understanding of tissue behavior under load.