Viscoelastic creep of collagenous tissue

Cohen, R. E.; Hooley, C. J.; McCrum, N. G.

Affiliations

¹Department of Chemical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, U.S.A.

²Department of Engineering Science, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3PJ. U.K

Abstract

The temperature and stress dependence of creep of human digital tendon was studied in vitro at temperatures between 10 and 60°C and at tensile strains below 2%. The activation energy, ΔH, for the viscoelastic deformation mechanism was determined by imposing small, abrupt changes in temperature on the specimen during creep. The value of ΔH at 28°C was 12 (±1·5) kcal mol⁻¹ for specimens from donors of age 21, 55 and 89 yr. The activation energy for the shrinkage transition in human digital tendon was determined as 250 kcal/mole using similar techniques. The stress dependence of the isochronal strain rate is roughly of the form ε α δⁿ, n being less than unity. The observed viscoelastic phenomena are discussed in terms of the structure of the collagenous tissue. The advantages of the creep T-jump technique for the study of biological polymers are also discussed.

Links

DOI: 10.1016/0021-9290(76)90002-6

PubMed: 1262352

WoS: A1976BM82100002

History

Received: 1975-02-06

Cited Works (2)

Year	Entry
1972	Diamant J, Keller A, Baer E, Litt M, Arridge RG. Collagen: ultrastructure and its relation to mechanical properties as a function of ageing. Proc R Soc B. March 14, 1972;180(1060):293-315.
1959	Rigby BJ, Hirai N, Spikes JD, Eyring H. The mechanical properties of rat tail tendon. J Gen Physiol. November 1959;43(2):265-283.

Cited By (19)

Year	Entry
1990	Viidik A. Structure and function of normal and healing tendons and ligaments. In: Mow VC, Ratcliffe A, Woo SL-Y, eds. Biomechanics of Diarthrodial Joints. Vol 1. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag; 1990:3-38.
1982	Viidik A, Danielsen CC, Oxlund H. On fundamental and phenomenological models, structure and mechanical properties of collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycan complexes. Biorheology. 1982;19(3):437-451.
2001	Weiss JA, Gardiner JC. Computational modeling of ligament mechanics. Crit Rev Biomed Eng. 2001;29(3):303-371.
1983	Lanir Y. Constitutive equations for fibrous connective tissues. J Biomech. 1983;16(1):1-12.
1990	Monleón Pradas M, Diaz Calleja R. Nonlinear viscoelastic behaviour of the flexor tendon of the human hand. J Biomech. 1990;23(8):773-781.
1996	Sasaki N, Odajima S. Elongation mechanism of collagen fibrils and force-strain relations of tendon at each level of structural hierarchy. J Biomech. 1996;29(9):1131-1136.
1999	Sasaki N, Shukunami N, Matsushima N, Izumi Y. Time-resolved X-ray diffraction from tendon collagen during creep using synchrotron radiation. J Biomech. March 1999;32(3):285-292.
2011	Duenwald S, Kobayashi H, Frisch K, Lakes R, Vanderby R Jr. Ultrasound echo is related to stress and strain in tendon. J Biomech. February 3, 2011;44(3):424-429.
1987	Woo SL-Y, Lee TQ, Gomez MA, Sato S, Field FP. Temperature dependent behavior of the canine medial collateral ligament. J Biomech Eng. February 1987;109(1):68-71.
1990	Lam TC, Thomas CG, Shrive NG, Frank CB, Sabiston CP. The effects of temperature on the viscoelastic properties of the rabbit medial collateral ligament. J Biomech Eng. May 1990;112(2):147-152.
1999	Bowman SM, Gibson LJ, Hayes WC, McMahon TA. Results from demineralized bone creep tests suggest that collagen is responsible for the creep behavior of bone. J Biomech Eng. April 1999;121(2):253-258.
2005	Weiss JA, Gardiner JC, Ellis BJ, Lujan TJ, Phatak NS. Three-dimensional finite element modeling of ligaments: technical aspects. Med Eng Phys. December 2005;27(10):845-861.
2012	Shi D, Wang D, Wang C, Liu A. A novel, inexpensive and easy to use tendon clamp for in vitro biomechanical testing. Med Eng Phys. May 2012;34(4):516-520.
2001	Huang C-Y. Biomechanics of Soft Tissues in the Shoulder Joint: Glenohumeral Cartilage, Ligament, and Rotator Cuff Tendon [PhD thesis]. Columbia University; 2001.
1997	Bowman SM. Creep of Trabecular Bone [PhD thesis]. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University; May 1997.
2019	Nyamsi Hendji N. Fascia thoracolombaire: Vers une meilleure compréhension de la biomécanique de la colonne vertébrale et de la locomotion humaine [Master's thesis]. École polytechnique de Montréal; August 2019.
2002	Gardiner JC. Computational Modeling of Ligament Mechanics [PhD thesis]. University of Utah; May 2002.
2011	Duenwald-Kuehl S. Characterization of Tendon Mechanics: Experiment, Modeling, and Noninvasive Methods [PhD thesis]. University of Wisconsin – Madison; 2011.
2001	Brown CU. Time-Dependent Circumferential Deformation of Cortical Bone Subjected to Internal Radial Loading [PhD thesis]. West Virginia University; 2001.