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Fibrin clot fracture under cyclic fatigue and variable rate loading
Shiyu Liu1, Aram Bahmani1, Farshid Ghezelbash1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, McGill University, 817 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, QC H3A 0C3, Canada.
Acta Biomaterialia
|February 9, 2024
Summary
Fibrin clots exhibit a fatigue threshold of 1.66 J/m², crucial for understanding blood clot mechanics under cyclic loading. This research reveals their fracture behavior is sensitive to load amplitude and rate.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Mechanics of Materials
- Biophysics
Background:
- Fibrin clots are essential fibrous materials governing blood clot mechanical responses.
- Understanding fibrin clot fracture under physiological loads is critical for hemostasis and thrombosis.
- Fracture behavior under cyclic and variable rate loading remains largely uncharacterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the fracture properties of fibrin clots under cyclic fatigue and monotonic variable rate loading.
- To determine the fatigue threshold and rate-dependent fracture toughness of fibrin clots.
- To develop models explaining fibrin clot fracture behavior based on its hierarchical structure.
Main Methods:
- Cyclic fatigue loading tests on fibrin clots.
- Monotonic variable rate loading tests on fibrin clots.
- Semi-empirical modeling using 3D morphometric quantification.
- Viscoelastic fracture modeling.
Main Results:
- Fibrin clots exhibit a fatigue threshold of 1.66 J/m², significantly lower than the overall fracture toughness of 15.8 J/m².
- Fracture behavior is sensitive to cyclic load amplitude and loading rate.
- Fracture toughness demonstrates rate-dependence, attributed to viscoelasticity.
Conclusions:
- Fibrin clot fracture is influenced by load history and rate, with a distinct fatigue threshold.
- A semi-empirical model successfully rationalizes the fatigue threshold based on fibrin fiber hierarchy.
- Viscoelastic properties govern the rate-dependent fracture toughness, offering insights comparable to hydrogels and biological tissues.
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