title: A constitutive theory for biomembranes: application to epicardial mechanics.
abstract: We present a new theoretically motivated experimental approach for identifying the functional form of a constitutive relation for any nonlinear, anisotropic pseudoelastic biological membrane. The utility of this approach is illustrated by identifying, from biaxial data, a new constitutive relation for excised ventricular epicardium. Values of the associated material parameters are calculated and compared for right and left ventricular specimens. Based on our findings, we suggest that there are no significant differences in the biomechanical behavior of epicardium excised from the right and left ventricular free walls of canine hearts.
authors: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore 21228.
authors: J D
authors: JD
authors: Humphrey
authors: R K
authors: RK
authors: Strumpf
authors: F C
authors: FC
authors: Yin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004285:Dogs; D004548:Elasticity; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010496:Pericardium / Q000502:physiology*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right / Q000502:physiology*