Why are soft collagenous tissues so tough?
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Bovine pericardium is the tissue of choice for replacing heart valves of human patients in minimally invasive surgery. The tissue has an extraordinarily high toughness of ~100 kilojoules per square meter. Here, we investigate the origin of the toughness through mechanical tests and microscopic observations. In the tissue, crimped, long, strong collagen fibers are embedded in a soft matrix. As a crack grows in the matrix, the fibers decrimp, reorient, slip, and bridge the crack. These microscopic processes enable the fibers to transmit high tension over a long distance. Using two types of experiments, we measure the bridging traction as a function of crack separation, σ(δ). The peak traction is σ 0 ~ 60 megapascals. The maximum separation is δ 0 ~ 6 millimeters, two to four orders of magnitude higher than that of hard tissues. Both the high traction and large separation of the bovine pericardium contribute to its high toughness.
Source: Science Advances
Authors: Jingyuan Tang, Jingyuan Tang, Xi Chen, Fengkai Liu, Liangsong Zeng, Zhigang Suo, Jingda Tang, Jingda Tang
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
OpenAlex ID: W4411401710