The aim of the paper is to investigate the remodeling phenomenon of a cell-seeded material (collagen type-I) due to collagen type-II newly synthesized by the cells. For the experiments, a cell-seeded condensed collagen gel is mechanically stimulated in a bioreactor for four weeks. The remodeled stiffness of the cell-seeded gel is measured by a compression test and is explained with an evolution law.

The continuum mechanical modeling of collagenous biological tissues is of interest in the field of biomedical engineering. Particularly, the change of material properties as a result of cell activity is of great interest, as chondrocyte (cartilage cell) implantation yields significant functional improvement. The aim of the contribution is to present the remodeling phenomenon of a cellular material due to cell activity, which results in synthesis of collagen type‐II fibers. For the experimental study, cellular condensed gel is mechanically stimulated in a bioreactor for four weeks. The change of the stiffness of the gel is measured in a compression test. The remodeling process is theoretically derived by an appropriate evolution law in the framework of continuum mechanics. (© 2014 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The aim of the present work is to investigate the remodeling phenomenon of a cell-seeded tissue. In experiments, a cell seeded condensed collagen gel is mechanically stimulated in a bioreactor for four weeks, after which the specimen is tested in compression to measure its change of stiffness. The change, regarded as remodeling, is assumed to be the result of newly synthesized collagen type II; a constitutive equation is proposed for the remodeling effect.