A Two-Dimensional Computational Model of Soft Tissue Mechanics Using a Stiffening Finite Strain Extremum Principle

Modeling the nonlinear large deformation behavior of soft tissues poses a significant challenge. Previous work in this area has involved phenomenological modeling, which entails fitting experimentally determined parameters to an assumed potential function. These studies have contributed immensely to our understanding of soft tissues, but their use can be hampered by the lack of physical intuition concerning the fitted parameters. Structural models have provided mechanistic insight into the mechanical behavior of soft tissues, but are difficult to generalize to rigorous multi-dimensional formulations for analysis. To move toward unified constitutive and computational modeling of soft tissue mechanics, it is desirable to combine the mechanistic insight of structural models with the rigorous 2- and 3-D modeling available with strain energy functions.