A Microscale Collagen-Fibrin Interacting Network Model With Comparison to Experimental Results

Abstract

Many native and bioengineered soft tissues are composed of two or more types of biopolymer networks that mechanically define and support the material [1]. Modeling the response of multi-network soft tissues to mechanical loading can be difficult due to the heterogeneous nature of these materials and the large strains (>1) involved. As tissues deform, the different biopolymer networks interact with one another and determine the overall stress-strain outcome for the tissue. Capturing this interaction could help improve the accuracy of a computer model to simulate the microscale behavior of soft tissues under load. We have developed a two-network model to reflect interactions between collagen and fibrin biopolymer networks loaded in uniaxial extension. The model can help improve our understanding of native and engineered tissue mechanics.