The non-linear response of a muscle in transverse compression: assessment of geometry influence using a finite element model

Abstract

Most recent finite element models that represent muscles are generic or subject-specific models that use complex, constitutive laws. Identification of the parameters of such complex, constitutive laws could be an important limit for subject-specific approaches. The aim of this study was to assess the possibility of modelling muscle behaviour in compression with a parametric model and a simple, constitutive law. A quasi-static compression test was performed on the muscles of dogs. A parametric finite element model was designed using a linear, elastic, constitutive law. A multi-variate analysis was performed to assess the effects of geometry on muscle response. An inverse method was used to define Young's modulus. The non-linear response of the muscles was obtained using a subject-specific geometry and a linear elastic law. Thus, a simple muscle model can be used to have a bio-faithful, biomechanical response.

Experimental characterization of post rigor mortis human muscle subjected to small tensile strains and application of a simple hyper-viscoelastic model

“…The parameters are in the same order of magnitude as those reported in the literature; however, they are higher, in particular the Young's modulus E. The Young's modulus E in our study is in mean 6.8 MPa, whereas it was 2 MPa for a dog muscle in compression 15 or a rabbit muscle in tension at 20% strain. 26 For a lower limb finite element model, Behr et al 1 used a Young's modulus of 1 MPa in the tension direction and 5 MPa in the direction perpendicular to the tension direction.…”

“…The passive response of muscles has been widely studied with experiments performed on muscle in compression [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] or tension. [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] However, most of these experiments have been performed on animal muscles.…”

Image-based biomechanical models of the musculoskeletal system

“…Such an approach has been widely employed for the simulation of the local properties of bone based on quantitative CT (QCT) and high-resolution QCT (HR-QCT) [49,50], using various techniques to assign the properties to either nodes or elements [51,52]. Additionally, other methods based on MR and ultrasound elastography [53] as well as special MR techniques such as delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC), T1rho and T2-mapping [54] have also been used for the creation of numerical models.…”

Hyper-elastic properties of the human sternocleidomastoideus muscle in tension

“…Most of these experiments were tensile tests. There were few compression or indentation tests (Bosboom et al, 2001;Gras et al, 2012;Palevski et al, 2006). The experimental results published in the literature involved animal muscles (Anderson et al, 2001(Anderson et al, , 2002Bensamoun et al, 2006;Best et al, 1994;Bosboom et al, 2001;Ettema and Huijing, 1994;Gottsauner-Wolf et al, 1995;Gras et al, 2012;Hawkins and Bey, 1997;Lin et al, 1999;Myers et al, 1995Myers et al, , 1998Noonan et al, 1993Noonan et al, , 1994Palevski et al, 2006).…”