Elastic modulus of prepared canine jejunum, a new vascular graft material

The submucosal connective tissue of the jejunum has been shown to be suitable for use as a vascular graft in preliminary dog studies. To partially characterize the mechanical properties of this new graft material, longitudinal stress (sigma)-strain (epsilon)-data were obtained on 13 specimens of canine jejunum, stripped of its mucosal and external smooth-muscle layers. The ratio of stress to strain is the modulus of elasticity (E). It was found that the stress sigma-strain epsilon-data fitted the expression sigma = K epsilon alpha very well. For a typical specimen sigma = 2.69 x 10(6) epsilon 2.33. The modulus of elasticity (E = sigma 1-1/alpha K1/alpha) was found to increase with increasing stress, ranging from about 2,000 to 9,000 mmHg. For the average specimen E = 573 sigma 0.57, where sigma is in mmHg, (1 mmHg = 133.3 Pascals).