Modeling of mechanosensitive remodeling processes in collagen fibers

Abstract

AbstractA large number of biochemical processes such as enzymatic collagen degradation are involved in the remodeling of biological soft tissue constituents. Experiments have found that moderate strain may stabilize fibrillar collagen to enzymatic degradation. This strain stabilization is crucial for the homeostatic balance during the tissue remodeling process in healthy soft tissue. This article studies a material model applicable to the modeling of collagenous soft tissue. The ground substance properties are taken to be time‐independent, while the mechanical behavior of the fibers is modeled in terms of the Helmholtz free energy of the underlying protofibers along with a survival kernel that accounts for how the fiber density is dependent upon the deformation of the overall material. The examples illustrate the consequences of a compressively induced mechanical disruption to the homeostatic fiber remodeling, and they show the differences in the re‐approach to homeostasis when either the stress or strain remains constant.