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Applied Sciences
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Biomechanics Research on Biological Soft Tissues
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Biomechanics Research on Biological Soft Tissues

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 8380

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Monika Ratajczak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Materials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Zielona Góra, 65-417 Zielona Góra, Poland
Interests: neuroscience; neurology; biomedical engineering; head injury; numerical modeling and simulations; finite element method; energy absorber
Dr. Ricardo J. Alves de Sousa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, Campus Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: green composites; cork; numerical simulation; biomechanics; metal forming
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to present this Special Issue on Biomechanics Research on Biological Soft Tissues. A proper characterization of biological tissues is of utmost importance in the field of biomechanics, covering body areas since the head to the toe and constitute an interesting and challenging research object in mechanics. In fact, both from the experimental techniques or computational analysis, a whole new set of procedures are demanded to be developed and/or improved in order to properly characterize the intricate response of these materials and structures upon loading. Understanding the mechanical response of these structures will certainly contribute to a more accurate description of how several biomechanical systems work. In parallel, it is also an important aid in the prevention and approach to treatment methods of individual tissues as well as entire biological systems. Similarly, a better understanding of the behavior of tissues under the influence of mechanical overload enables the construction of more effective protective systems. Nevertheless, the essence of determining and modeling the biomechanics biological structures is to use an appropriate methodological approach.               

This issue aims to collect research or review articles covering current experimental research and/or numerical techniques focusing on characterizing biological structures and also modern design solutions to protect these structures. Innovative research as well as new methodological approaches to research on biological tissues are welcome.  A very important aspect is also the validation of numerical models. Moreover, research on structures in the several size-scales are appreciated.

Guest Editors

Dr. Monika Ratajczak

Prof. Dr. Ricardo J. Alves de Sousa

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Biomechanics
  • numerical methods
  • biological tissues
  • soft tissues
  • finite elements

Published Papers (4 papers)

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16 pages, 5157 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Behaviour of Human and Porcine Urethra: Experimental Results, Numerical Simulation and Qualitative Analysis
by António Diogo André, Bruno Areias, Ana Margarida Teixeira, Sérgio Pinto and Pedro Martins
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(21), 10842; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app122110842 - 26 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1404
Abstract
Low urinary tract dysfunctions and symptoms (LUTS) affect both men and woman, with the incidence increasing with age. Among the LUTS, urinary incontinence (UI) is a common dysfunction, characterised by the involuntary loss of urine. These medical conditions become debilitating, with a severe [...] Read more.
Low urinary tract dysfunctions and symptoms (LUTS) affect both men and woman, with the incidence increasing with age. Among the LUTS, urinary incontinence (UI) is a common dysfunction, characterised by the involuntary loss of urine. These medical conditions become debilitating, with a severe impact on patients’ routines and overall well-being. To mitigate LUTS-associated symptoms, the mechanical behaviour of both normal and LUTS-affected urethrae can be an important tool. The current work approaches the porcine urethra as a mechanical replacement candidate for the human urethra. It aims to provide a framework based on in silico (numerical) simulations and experimental data, to compare the candidate’s mechanical behaviour against the human urethra. Porcine urethral samples were mechanically evaluated through low-cycle fatigue tests in both circumferential and longitudinal orientations. The specimens were collected from porcine urethrae from crossbred pigs raised for human consumption. The experimental results were compared with human references found in the literature, with similar experimental conditions. The experimental data were used as the input for the mechanical properties estimation (nonlinear fitting to hyperelastic constitutive models) and for the simulation of the urethral tensile behaviour, using those models. In the longitudinal orientation, the results for the porcine and human urethra were in good agreement, while in the circumferential direction, the differences increased with deformation. Previous data on the mechanical behaviour of the equine urethra is in line with these findings. The nonlinear mechanical behaviour of a porcine urethra was modelled using the finite element method (FEM) and hyperelastic constitutive models. For the longitudinal urethra, the simulation results approximate experimental data for stretches up to λ≈1.5 (50% deformations), whereas for the circumferential urethra, the same was true for stretches up to λ≈1.35 (35% deformations). The hyperelastic models with a higher number of parameters performed better with the third-order Ogden model (six parameters), displaying the best performance among the studied models. The pig urethra is a suitable candidate for an implant targeted at human urethra replacement or as a model to study the human urinary system. Nevertheless, the data available on the circumferential mechanical behaviour need to be consolidated with additional mechanical tests. The tensile behaviour of the porcine urethra over large deformations can be modelled using the third-order Ogden model; however, to extend the modelling capabilities to larger deformations requires the use of hyperelastic models more adequate to soft tissue behaviour. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomechanics Research on Biological Soft Tissues)
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12 pages, 2605 KiB  
Article
A Computational Model for Nonlinear Biomechanics Problems of FGA Biological Soft Tissues
by Mohamed Abdelsabour Fahmy
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(14), 7174; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12147174 - 16 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1103
Abstract
The principal objective of this work was to develop a semi-implicit hybrid boundary element method (HBEM) to describe the nonlinear fractional biomechanical interactions in functionally graded anisotropic (FGA) soft tissues. The local radial basis function collocation method (LRBFCM) and general boundary element method [...] Read more.
The principal objective of this work was to develop a semi-implicit hybrid boundary element method (HBEM) to describe the nonlinear fractional biomechanical interactions in functionally graded anisotropic (FGA) soft tissues. The local radial basis function collocation method (LRBFCM) and general boundary element method (GBEM) were used to solve the nonlinear fractional dual-phase-lag bioheat governing equation. The boundary element method (BEM) was then used to solve the poroelastic governing equation. To solve equations arising from boundary element discretization, an efficient partitioned semi-implicit coupling algorithm was implemented with the generalized modified shift-splitting (GMSS) preconditioners. The computational findings are presented graphically to display the influences of the graded parameter, fractional parameter, and anisotropic property on the bio-thermal stress. Different bioheat transfer models are presented to show the significant differences between the nonlinear bio-thermal stress distributions in functionally graded anisotropic biological tissues. Numerical findings verified the validity, accuracy, and efficiency of the proposed method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomechanics Research on Biological Soft Tissues)
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14 pages, 6072 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Strength Study of a Cranial Implant Using Computational Tools
by Pedro O. Santos, Gustavo P. Carmo, Ricardo J. Alves de Sousa, Fábio A. O. Fernandes and Mariusz Ptak
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(2), 878; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12020878 - 15 Jan 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2274
Abstract
The human head is sometimes subjected to impact loads that lead to skull fracture or other injuries that require the removal of part of the skull, which is called craniectomy. Consequently, the removed portion is replaced using autologous bone or alloplastic material. The [...] Read more.
The human head is sometimes subjected to impact loads that lead to skull fracture or other injuries that require the removal of part of the skull, which is called craniectomy. Consequently, the removed portion is replaced using autologous bone or alloplastic material. The aim of this work is to develop a cranial implant to fulfil a defect created on the skull and then study its mechanical performance by integrating it on a human head finite element model. The material chosen for the implant was PEEK, a thermoplastic polymer that has been recently used in cranioplasty. A6 numerical model head coupled with an implant was subjected to analysis to evaluate two parameters: the number of fixation screws that enhance the performance and ensure the structural integrity of the implant, and the implant’s capacity to protect the brain compared to the integral skull. The main findings point to the fact that, among all tested configurations of screws, the model with eight screws presents better performance when considering the von Mises stress field and the displacement field on the interface between the implant and the skull. Additionally, under the specific analyzed conditions, it is observable that the model with the implant offers more efficient brain protection when compared with the model with the integral skull. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomechanics Research on Biological Soft Tissues)
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38 pages, 617 KiB  
Systematic Review
Computational Modelling and Simulation of Fluid Structure Interaction in Aortic Aneurysms: A Systematic Review and Discussion of the Clinical Potential
by André Mourato, Rodrigo Valente, José Xavier, Moisés Brito, Stéphane Avril, José César de Sá, António Tomás and José Fragata
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(16), 8049; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12168049 - 11 Aug 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2297
Abstract
Aortic aneurysm is a cardiovascular disease related to the alteration of the aortic tissue. It is an important cause of death in developed countries, especially for older patients. The diagnosis and treatment of such pathology is performed according to guidelines, which suggest surgical [...] Read more.
Aortic aneurysm is a cardiovascular disease related to the alteration of the aortic tissue. It is an important cause of death in developed countries, especially for older patients. The diagnosis and treatment of such pathology is performed according to guidelines, which suggest surgical or interventional (stenting) procedures for aneurysms with a maximum diameter above a critical threshold. Although conservative, this clinical approach is also not able to predict the risk of acute complications for every patient. In the last decade, there has been growing interest towards the development of advanced in silico aortic models, which may assist in clinical diagnosis, surgical procedure planning or the design and validation of medical devices. This paper details a comprehensive review of computational modelling and simulations of blood vessel interaction in aortic aneurysms and dissection, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). In particular, the following questions are addressed: “What mathematical models were applied to simulate the biomechanical behaviour of healthy and diseased aortas?” and “Why are these models not clinically implemented?”. Contemporary evidence proves that computational models are able to provide clinicians with additional, otherwise unavailable in vivo data and potentially identify patients who may benefit from earlier treatment. Notwithstanding the above, these tools are still not widely implemented, primarily due to low accuracy, an extensive reporting time and lack of numerical validation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomechanics Research on Biological Soft Tissues)
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