title: Elastic model for crimped collagen fibrils.
abstract: A physiologic constitutive expression is presented in algorithmic format for the nonlinear elastic response of wavy collagen fibrils found in soft connective tissues. The model is based on the observation that crimped fibrils in a fascicle have a three-dimensional structure at the micron scale that we approximate as a helical spring. The symmetry of this wave form allows the force/displacement relationship derived from Castigliano's theorem to be solved in closed form: all integrals become analytic. Model predictions are in good agreement with experimental observations for mitral-valve chordae tendinece.
authors.affiliation: Bio Sciences and Technology Branch, NASA's John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, OH 44135, USA. alan.d.freed@nasa.gov
authors.forename: Alan D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Freed
authors.forename: Todd C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Doehring
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002815:Chordae Tendineae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D019245:Compressive Strength; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D004548:Elasticity; D024022:Fibrillar Collagens / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D024022:Fibrillar Collagens