A micromechanical model has been developed to study and predict the mechanical behavior of fibrous soft tissues. The model uses the theorems of least work and minimum potential energy to predict upper and lower bounds on material behavior based on the structure and properties of tissue components. The basic model consists of a composite of crimped collagen fibers embedded in an elastic glycosaminoglycan matrix. Upper and lower bound aggregation rules predict composite material behavior under the assumptions of uniform strain and uniform stress, respectively. Input parameters consist of the component material properties and the geometric configuration of the fibers. The model may be applied to a variety of connective tissue structures and is valuable in giving insight into material behavior and the nature of interactions between tissue components in various structures. Application of the model to rat tail tendon and cat knee joint capsule is described in a companion paper [2].

A micromechanical model of fibrous soft tissue has been developed which predicts upper and lower bounds on mechanical properties based on the structure and properties of tissue components by Ault and Hoffman [3, 4]. In this paper, two types of biological tissue are modeled and the results compared to experimental test data. The highly organized structure of rat tail tendon is modeled using the upper bound aggregation rule which predicts uniform strain behavior in the composite material. This model fits the experimental data and results in a correlation coefficient of 0.98. Applied to cat knee joint capsule, the lower bound aggregation rule of the model correlates with the data and predicts uniform stress within this more loosely organized tissue structure. These studies show that the nature of the interactions between the components in tissue differs depending upon its structure and that the biomechanical model is capable of analyzing such differences in structure.

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is the Instructional Designer for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Her primary role involves partnering with teaching faculty to create and develop courses in the online, blended, and face-to-face environments. Caitlin serves as the designer, facilitator, and instructional design consultant for the Faculty Institute for Online Teaching program. Caitlin holds a Master of Science degree in Learning Technologies and Instructional Design from Drexel University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Lebanon Valley College.

den. Her primary teaching and course development responsibilities include undergraduate and graduate level courses in computer-aided design, mechanical design and rehabilitation engineering. She served as the Director of Liaison for the Engineering Design Graphics Division of ASEE from 1995-8, EDGD Program Chair for the ASEE Annual Conferences in 2002 and 2011, division vice chair in 2003 and division chair in 2004. Her teaching and research interests include computer aided mechanical design, geometric modeling, kinematics, machine design and rehabilitation engineering. She is a member of ASME, ASEE and ISGG.