Theoretical methods and models for mechanical properties of soft biomaterials

• Main Authors: Zhonggang Feng, Tadashi Kosawada, Takao Nakamura, Daisuke Sato, Tatsuo Kitajima, Mitsuo Umezu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: AIMS Press 2017-06-01
• Series: AIMS Materials Science
• Subjects: soft biomaterials; mechanical properties; nonlinearity; time-dependent; viscoelasticity; poroelasticity; network model; structural alteration theory; micromechanics
• Online Access: http://www.aimspress.com/Materials/article/1457/fulltext.html
• ISSN: 2372-0484

We review the most commonly used theoretical methods and models for the mechanical properties of soft biomaterials, which include phenomenological hyperelastic and viscoelastic models, structural biphasic and network models, and the structural alteration theory. We emphasize basic concepts and recent developments. In consideration of the current progress and needs of mechanobiology, we introduce methods and models for tackling micromechanical problems and their applications to cell biology. Finally, the challenges and perspectives in this field are discussed.