Residual strain in the gastrointestinal tract: a new concept

The purpose of this editorial is to introduce the concepts of residual strain and the zero-stress state, and to discuss the implications for research in gastrointestinal function and pathophysiology.The function of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract including the oesophagus is, to a large degree, mechanical.Biomechanics is concerned with the study of stress (force per unit area) and strain (deformation) and their relation to tissue morphology and function.Hence, strain measurements are fundamental in mechanical studies.Strain describes the mechanical deformation of a material.In biomechanics, the strain e expresses a fractional change in dimension, e.g.