The relationship between micro-structure and mechanical behaviour in passive skeletal muscle

Abstract

This thesis presents and discusses investigative work performed on characterising the behavioural response of skeletal muscle tissue that was subjected to large deformations. The passive mechanical properties of muscle tissue are important for many biomechanics applications, including impact biomechanics, tissue engineering and rehabilitation engineering. However, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the passive three-dimensional tensile and compressive response of skeletal muscle tissue. In particular, the tensile quasi-static soft tissue anisotropy remains unclear and the responses to loading at intermediate fibre directions, as well as the asymmetrical behavioural response of muscle tissue have not been investigated before.