An investigation of regional variations in the biaxial mechanical properties and stress relaxation behaviors of porcine atrioventricular heart valve leaflets

Abstract

This article extends the existing quantifications of the mechanics of mitral and tricuspid valve leaflets by examining spatial variance in leaflet mechanics. We tested the individual regions (A-F) shown above with standard biaxial testing protocols and with experiments designed to measure stress-relaxation behaviors in the tissue. Our study found substantial spatial differences in the leaflet mechanics and suggests the need for further study on the microstructural bases behind these differences.

Publication
In the Journal of Biomechanics(JB).
Date