Affiliations: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA | School of Medicine, Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author. Address: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI), 723 W. Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5132, USA. Tel.: +1 317 274 9717; Fax: +1 317 274 9744; E-mail: ramana@engr.iupui.edu.
Abstract: The mechanical properties of a contracting smooth muscle can be changed by changing its length. A viscoelastic material model was developed to predict the length-dependent stiffness changes when a constrained muscle is allowed to shorten under a constant external force. Three-dimensional finite element simulations were carried out to estimate the stiffness changes and compared to available experimental data. A good agreement was found indicating that the viscoelastic material model developed gives a valid representation of the length dependent stiffness changes of a smooth muscle. Sensitivity analysis was carried out to determine the relative effects of material constants in the model on the length dependent stiffness.
Keywords: Smooth muscle, viscoelastic, finite element analysis, stiffness
