Constitutive Models for Active Skeletal Muscle: Review, Comparison, and Application in a Novel Continuum Shoulder...

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Musculoskeletal Modeling
• Computational Mechanics

Background:

• The shoulder joint's complexity necessitates advanced modeling techniques for accurate biomechanical analysis.
• Skeletal muscles are crucial active stabilizers and force generators, requiring sophisticated constitutive descriptions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel constitutive description for active skeletal muscle within a continuum shoulder model.
• To integrate and refine existing material models for enhanced biomechanical simulations.

Main Methods:

• A thorough review of existing material models for active muscle.
• Selection and combination of active stress, active strain, and generalized active strain approaches.
• Parameter identification using experimental stress-strain data and validation in a continuum shoulder model.

Main Results:

• Development of a novel constitutive material model for active skeletal muscle.
• Investigation of muscle force generation, deformation, and kinematics.
• Demonstration of the model's applicability in a human shoulder continuum model.

Conclusions:

• The proposed model accurately captures active skeletal muscle behavior in complex musculoskeletal systems.
• The model enhances the simulation of shoulder joint biomechanics, particularly rotator cuff function.
• This work provides a foundation for advanced computational studies in shoulder biomechanics.