Repeated Loading Behavior of Pediatric Porcine Common Carotid Arteries

Abstract

Rapid flexion and extension of the neck may occur during scenarios associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and understanding the mechanical response of the common carotid artery (CCA) to longitudinal stretch may enhance understanding of contributing factors that may influence CCA vasospasm and exacerbate ischemic injury associated with TBI. Immature (4-week-old) porcine CCAs were tested under subcatastrophic (1.5 peak stretch ratio) cyclic loading at 3 Hz for 30 s. Under subcatastrophic cyclic longitudinal extension, the immature porcine CCA displays softening behavior. This softening can be represented by decreasing peak stress and increasing corner stretch values with an increasing number of loading cycles. This investigation is an important first step in the exploration of fatiguelike behavior in arterial tissue that may be subjected to repeated longitudinal loads.