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A viscoelastic material model to represent smooth muscle shortening
R M Pidaparti1, Y Liu, R A Meiss
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. ramana@engr.iupui.edu
Abstract:
The mechanical properties of a contracting smooth muscle can be changed by changing its length. A viscoelastic material model was developed to predict the length-dependent stiffness changes when a constrained muscle is allowed to shorten under a constant external force. Three-dimensional finite element simulations were carried out to estimate the stiffness changes and compared to available experimental data. A good agreement was found indicating that the viscoelastic material model developed gives a valid representation of the length dependent stiffness changes of a smooth muscle. Sensitivity analysis was carried out to determine the relative effects of material constants in the model on the length dependent stiffness.