title: Inverse finite element characterization of the human myometrium derived from uniaxial compression experiments.
abstract: The low strain-rate behavior of the human myometrium under compression was determined. To this end, uniaxial, unconstrained compression experiments were conducted on a total of 25 samples from three excised human uteri at strain rates between 0.001 s(-1) and 0.008 s(-1). A three-dimensional finite element model of each sample was created and used together with an optimization algorithm to find material parameters in an inverse estimation process. Friction and shape irregularities of samples were incorporated in the models. The uterine specimens in compression were modeled as viscoelastic, non-linear, nearly incompressible and isotropic continua. Simulations of uniaxial, frictionless compressions of an idealized cuboid were used to compare the resulting material parameters among each other. The intra- and inter-subject variability in stiffness of specimens was found to be large and to cover such a wide range that the effect of anisotropy which is of minor influence under compressive deformations in the first place could be neglected. Material parameters for a viscoelastic model based on a decoupled, reduced quadratic strain-energy function were presented for the uterine samples representing a median stiffness.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. weiss@biomed.ee.ethz.ch
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Niederer
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nava
authors.forename: Rosmarie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caduff
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bajka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019245:Compressive Strength / Q000502:physiology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D006244:Hardness; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D009215:Myometrium / Q000502:physiology*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D014783:Viscosity; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology