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Methodology for biomechanical testing of fresh anterior wall vaginal samples from postmenopausal women undergoing cystocele repair
Author(s) -
Zimmern Philippe E.,
Eberhart Robert C.,
Bhatt Aradhana
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
neurourology and urodynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1520-6777
pISSN - 0733-2467
DOI - 10.1002/nau.20657
Subject(s) - medicine , biomechanics , ultimate tensile strength , postmenopausal women , strain (injury) , biomedical engineering , surgery , native tissue , materials testing , anatomy , tissue engineering , composite material , materials science
Goal To explore the methodological challenges of biomechanical testing of freshly harvested human anterior vaginal wall (HAVW) samples. Method Longitudinal full‐thickness samples of HAVW were excised during cystocele repair in postmenopausal women and age‐matched controls. Two methods of tissue storage during transport were compared. All samples were prepared for uniaxial testing within 2 hr of harvest and loaded at a rate of 0.5 mm/sec, until irreversible deformation was observed. Young's modulus and other parameters were extracted from the tensile stress–strain curves. Results Samples were obtained over 2 years from 42 patients. Significant differences in biomechanical parameters were noted based on the degree of hydration of the tissue, suggesting that the wetter samples were mechanically weaker. Conclusions This study reports on a new method for testing the biomechanical properties of freshly harvested HAVW tissues and the impact of tissue hydration during transport between the operating room and the testing lab. Neurourol. Urodynam. 28:325–329, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.