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Inverse finite element characterization of the human myometrium derived from uniaxial compression experiments

Weiss, Stephan ; Niederer, Peter ; Nava, Alessandro ; Caduff, Rosmarie ; Bajka, Michael

In: Biomedizinische Technik/Biomedical Engineering, 2008, vol. 53, no. 2, p. 52-58

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    Title
    • Inverse finite element characterization of the human myometrium derived from uniaxial compression experiments
    Author
    • Weiss, Stephan. Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Niederer, Peter. Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Nava, Alessandro. Centre of Mechanics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Caduff, Rosmarie. Institute of Surgical Pathology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Bajka, Michael. Clinic of Gynecology, Department OB/GYN, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
    Document Type
    • Postprint
    Language
    • German
    Published in
    • Biomedizinische Technik/Biomedical Engineering, 2008, vol. 53, no. 2, p. 52-58. Walter de Gruyter
    Other Version
    OAI-PMH Identifier
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:293014
    Summary
    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 0.001s-1 and 0.008s-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