title: Uniaxial mechanical behavior of the human female bladder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the present study was to investigate the tensile biomechanical properties of the human female bladder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue samples were obtained from 13 cadavers without pelvic floor dysfunctions. We performed uniaxial tensile tests to measure the stiffness and maximum stress of the bladder tissue. Correlations were calculated using the Pearson correlation coefficient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The bladder tissue stiffness ranged from 1 to 4.1 MPa (mean stiffness, 1.9 ± 0.2 MPa) and the maximum stress ranged from 0.5 to 2.6 MPa (mean maximum stress, 0.9 ± 0.1 MPa). There was a strong positive correlation between stiffness and maximum stress in the bladder tissue (ρ = 0.829, p < 0.001). Tissue from women younger than 50 years presented higher bladder stiffness than did tissue from older subjects (2.1 ± 0.2 versus 1.3 ± 0.1 MPa, p = 0.02). Maximum bladder stress, however, was not associated with age (1.0 ± 0.2 versus 0.7 ± 0.1 MPa, p = 0.349). In addition, body mass index and menopausal status were not associated with these biomechanical properties.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age may influence the uniaxial mechanical behavior of the human female bladder.
authors: IDMEC-Polo FEUP, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors: Pedro A L S
authors: PA
authors: Martins
authors: Agnaldo Lopes Silva
authors: AL
authors: Filho
authors: Andrea Moura Rodrigues Maciel
authors: AM
authors: Fonseca
authors: Agostinho
authors: A
authors: Santos
authors: Liliana
authors: L
authors: Santos
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Mascarenhas
authors: Renato M Natal
authors: RM
authors: Jorge
authors: António J M
authors: AJ
authors: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D002102:Cadaver; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013718:Tensile Strength; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult