VISCOELASTIC MODELS OF TISSUES. MATHEMATICAL BACKGROUND AND HYSTERESIS LOOPS

Abstract

Human, animal and plant tissues are typically viscoelastic materials. It means that their response to a mechanical load is neither purely viscous, nor purely elastic, but somewhere in between. We say the tissues exhibit both viscous and elastic properties. The models standing behind such materials are called viscoelastic models. Their mechanical behaviour is influenced by stress σ and strain ε relation, called physical or constitutive equation, as well. In viscoelastic models, stress and strain are both functions of time. Parallel and/or serial connection of elementary members (H) and (N) is then exploited when creating various viscoelastic models. Arisen configurations match with their specific geometric equations and together with physical equations they determine the corresponding global constitutive equations. This paper brings the description of investigation and theoretical results of an approximate viscoelastic model of aponeurosis, represented by Burgers model.