Passive mechanical properties of skeletal muscle in compression

Abstract

The compressive properties of skeletal muscle are of prime interest in applications where muscle tissue is submitted to compressive loads; e.g., to improve the design of protective equipment for vehicular occupants, to improve the biofidelity of simulation tools for surgical procedures or to investigate pressure sore formation. However, little data is available to characterise muscle tissue in compression. The aim of this study was therefore to advance the knowledge of passive skeletal muscle compressive behaviour using a combined experimental and theoretical approach. Uniaxial unconfined compression experiments were conducted on animal skeletal muscle in order to characterise the elastic and viscoelastic properties of the tissue. The experimental protocol consisted of quasi-static ramps, stress-relaxation and cyclic compression tests performed at various rates and various orientations of the muscle fibres.