Different anisotropic biomechanical behavior of left and right ventricles in adult sheep

Abstract

Ventricular dysfunction contributes significantly to mortality and morbidity in modern society and is the most common cause of heart failure. In the present study, we compared the fundamental biaxial mechanical behavior of the left and right ventricles (LV, RV) in adult sheep using experimental and computational approaches. The LVs were found to have more equibiaxial strength, whereas the RVs were more anisotropic with a higher circumferential elastic modulus (compared to longitudinal elastic modulus). The modified Ogden model provided a good fit and correlation to the experimental data. This characterization and comparison of biaxial mechanical properties of LV and RV in a large animal model can assist with the understanding of pathological mechanisms in ventricular dysfunction.