title: Biomechanical properties of vaginal tissue. Part 1: new experimental protocol.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We established a reliable experimental protocol to characterize the biomechanical properties of vaginal tissue and guarantee good test repeatability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Because of the large quantities of tissue required to establish the protocol, we worked on ewes according to animal ethics laws. To study the mechanical properties of ewe vaginal tissue we used unidirectional tension tests at a constant deformation rate. Rupture tests were performed under different experimental conditions to analyze the influence of each condition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tissue underwent exhaustive tests. The parameters studied were sampling, freezing, preservation conditions, hygrometry and temperature during vaginal tissue tests, and the rate of deformation during tests. As previously noted, vaginal tissue is anisotropic and the collection has been tested previously. We noted that freezing tissue had no consequences on the mechanical response of tissue during unidirectional tension testing. The experimental conditions that we defined (temperature, hygrometry and rate of deformation) allowed us to have reproducible tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results and analyses allowed us to determine the best reference protocol.
authors.affiliation: Clinique de Chirurgie Gynécologique, Hôpital Jeanne de Flandre, Lille, and Universitaire de Lille, France.
authors.forename: Chrystèle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rubod
authors.forename: Malik
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boukerrou
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brieu
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dubois
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cosson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016880:Anisotropy; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D005615:Freezing; D012756:Sheep; D013997:Time Factors; D014596:Uterine Prolapse / Q000503:physiopathology; D014621:Vagina / Q000502:physiology*