The application of digital image correlation to investigate the heterogeneity of Achilles tendon deformation and determine its material parameters

Abstract

The challenge for researchers is to develop measurement techniques that can deal with biological specimens (e.g. the human Achilles tendon) characterized by high deformation during examination. The relevant quantity which has to be investigated in laboratory experiments is the deformation or strain field of the specimen subjected to a given load. In experimental mechanics, the most remarkable technique used for strain field computation is the Digital Image Correlation (DIC) method. In the paper, the DIC method is employed to study biomaterial parameters of human Achilles tendons (AT) subjected to tensile uniaxial loadings. The application of DIC allows the heterogeneity of tendon deformation to be taken into consideration. Young's modulus of AT based on the strain field obtained from a vision-based measurement is estimated and the results are discussed. A map of Young's modulus (YM) is demonstrated as well.

Full-field strain distribution in hierarchical electrospun nanofibrous Poly-L(lactic) acid and Collagen based scaffolds for tendon and ligament tissue regeneration: a multiscale study

“…8D) in correspondence of their maximum sliding (εDmax = 10.75±1.30%). The DVC full-field strain distribution of SB and EHS produced a strain behavior similar to that experienced in the natural T/L tissue counterpart by using DVC [43], DIC [26,28,57,58] and finite element models [59]. The progressive stretching and reorganization of internal collagen fibrils/fascicles of T/L during physiological activities is responsible for the nonlinear behavior of their stress/strain curves.…”

“…The progressive stretching and reorganization of internal collagen fibrils/fascicles of T/L during physiological activities is responsible for the nonlinear behavior of their stress/strain curves. This characteristic is typically visible using DIC on T/L and resulting into inhomogeneous strain patterns that follow the local stretch/relaxation during tensile test [26,28,57,58]. Moreover, it is also well established that the collagen fibrils in T/L start damaging in the linear region of the stress/strain curve in a specific point defined as "inflection point" [60].…”

Full-field strain distribution in hierarchical electrospun nanofibrous poly-L(lactic) acid/collagen scaffolds for tendon and ligament regeneration: A multiscale study

“…The DVC full-field strain distribution of SB and EHS produced a strain behavior similar to that experienced in the natural T/L tissue counterpart by using DVC [ 43 ], DIC [ [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , 61 , 62 ] and finite element models [ 63 ]. The progressive stretching and reorganization of internal collagen fibrils/fascicles of T/L during physiological activities is responsible for the nonlinear behavior of their stress/strain curves.…”

“…The progressive stretching and reorganization of internal collagen fibrils/fascicles of T/L during physiological activities is responsible for the nonlinear behavior of their stress/strain curves. This characteristic is typically visible using DIC on T/L and resulting into inhomogeneous strain patterns that follow the local stretch/relaxation during tensile test, reaching mean values from 8% up to 25% depending on the T/L under investigation [ [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , 61 , 62 ]. The inhomogeneous strain patterns were due to the internal rearrangement, and progressive failure, of groups of collagen fibrils of the T/L of interest.…”