{"title":"Modeling of the biomechanical behavior and growth of the human uterus during pregnancy","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiomech.2024.112268","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Premature birth poses a challenge to public health, with one in ten babies being born prematurely worldwide. The pathological distension of the uterus can create tension in the uterine wall, triggering contractions that may lead to birth, including premature birth. While there has been an increase in the use of computational models to study pregnancy in recent years, ethical challenges have limited research on the mechanical properties of the uterus during gestation. This study proposes a biomechanical model based on a stretch-driven growth mechanism to describe uterine evolution during the second half of the gestational period. The constitutive model employed is anisotropic, reflecting the presence of fibers in uterine tissue, and it is also considered incompressible. The geometric model representing the uterine body was derived from truncated ellipsoids, subject to intrauterine pressure as loading. Simulation results indicate that the proposed model is effective in reproducing growth patterns documented in the literature, such as simultaneous increases in intrauterine volume and uterine tissue volume, accompanied by a reduction in uterine wall thickness within limits reported in experimental data.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":15168,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biomechanics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of biomechanics","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021929024003464","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"BIOPHYSICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Premature birth poses a challenge to public health, with one in ten babies being born prematurely worldwide. The pathological distension of the uterus can create tension in the uterine wall, triggering contractions that may lead to birth, including premature birth. While there has been an increase in the use of computational models to study pregnancy in recent years, ethical challenges have limited research on the mechanical properties of the uterus during gestation. This study proposes a biomechanical model based on a stretch-driven growth mechanism to describe uterine evolution during the second half of the gestational period. The constitutive model employed is anisotropic, reflecting the presence of fibers in uterine tissue, and it is also considered incompressible. The geometric model representing the uterine body was derived from truncated ellipsoids, subject to intrauterine pressure as loading. Simulation results indicate that the proposed model is effective in reproducing growth patterns documented in the literature, such as simultaneous increases in intrauterine volume and uterine tissue volume, accompanied by a reduction in uterine wall thickness within limits reported in experimental data.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Biomechanics publishes reports of original and substantial findings using the principles of mechanics to explore biological problems. Analytical, as well as experimental papers may be submitted, and the journal accepts original articles, surveys and perspective articles (usually by Editorial invitation only), book reviews and letters to the Editor. The criteria for acceptance of manuscripts include excellence, novelty, significance, clarity, conciseness and interest to the readership.
Papers published in the journal may cover a wide range of topics in biomechanics, including, but not limited to:
-Fundamental Topics - Biomechanics of the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems, mechanics of hard and soft tissues, biofluid mechanics, mechanics of prostheses and implant-tissue interfaces, mechanics of cells.
-Cardiovascular and Respiratory Biomechanics - Mechanics of blood-flow, air-flow, mechanics of the soft tissues, flow-tissue or flow-prosthesis interactions.
-Cell Biomechanics - Biomechanic analyses of cells, membranes and sub-cellular structures; the relationship of the mechanical environment to cell and tissue response.
-Dental Biomechanics - Design and analysis of dental tissues and prostheses, mechanics of chewing.
-Functional Tissue Engineering - The role of biomechanical factors in engineered tissue replacements and regenerative medicine.
-Injury Biomechanics - Mechanics of impact and trauma, dynamics of man-machine interaction.
-Molecular Biomechanics - Mechanical analyses of biomolecules.
-Orthopedic Biomechanics - Mechanics of fracture and fracture fixation, mechanics of implants and implant fixation, mechanics of bones and joints, wear of natural and artificial joints.
-Rehabilitation Biomechanics - Analyses of gait, mechanics of prosthetics and orthotics.
-Sports Biomechanics - Mechanical analyses of sports performance.