title: A numerical investigation of the healthy abdominal wall structures.
abstract: The present work aims to assess, via numerical modeling, the global passive mechanical behavior of the healthy abdominal wall under the action of pressures that characterize different daily tasks and physiological functions. The evaluation of a normal range of intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) during activities of daily living is fundamental because pressure alterations can cause several adverse effects. At this purpose, a finite element model is developed from literature histomorphometric data and from diagnostic images of Computed Tomography (CT), detailing the different anatomical regions. Numerical simulations cover an IAP up to the physiological limit of 171 (0.0223MPa) mmHg reached while jumping. Numerical results are in agreement with evidences on physiological abdomens when evaluating the local deformations along the craniocaudal direction, the transversal load forces in different regions and the increase of the abdominal area at a IAP of 12mmHg. The developed model can be upgraded for the investigation of the abdominal hernia repair and the assessment of prostheses mechanical compatibility, correlating stiffness and tensile strength of the abdominal tissues with those of surgical meshes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering and Centre for Mechanics of Biological Materials, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pachera
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering and Centre for Mechanics of Biological Materials, University of Padova, Italy. Electronic address: piero.pavan@unipd.it.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Pavan
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering and Centre for Mechanics of Biological Materials, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Todros
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering and Centre for Mechanics of Biological Materials, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cavinato
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering and Centre for Mechanics of Biological Materials, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Fontanella
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering and Centre for Mechanics of Biological Materials, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Natali
mesh_terms: D034861:Abdominal Wall / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D011312:Pressure; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Abdominal wall; Constitutive modeling; Numerical modeling; Soft tissues biomechanics