Experimental Characterization of the Mechanical Properties of the Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Wall under Uniaxial Tension

Although many researchers have made the assumption that the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) wall behaves as an incompressible and isotropic material, the experimental evidence for it is insufficient. Hence, the assumptions about the incompressibility and isotropy of the AAA wall were verified through analysis of stretch ratios of samples excised from the aneurysms walls. The stretch ratios were calculated on the basis of a real-time analysis of geometric dimensions of samples subjected to uniaxial tension. It was proved that the walls of abdominal aortic aneurysms can be modelled as an incompressible and isotropic material. Using histological techniques, the assumption concerning the negligence of shear stress in the analysis of AAA wall stresses was indirectly validated. The results were incorporated into a hyperelastic constitutive equation.