Measurement of mechanical properties of human saphenous vein using an inflation experiment

Coronary Artery Diseases are one of the main reasons of mortality. When these arteries occlude, usually a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery is performed. Sine human Saphenous Veins (SV) are used for CABG, they are of interest for researchers. In this study human SV samples undergo inflation test, using an inflation test device. Displacements of the samples for different pressures are analyzed, and average values are used as input of a computational method. In the numerical simulation the tissue is assumed as an elastic, isotropic, and homogenous solid material, and its output is Young´s Modulus (E) of the tissue. Results show that E of the SV increases linearly with the distension pressure. Although simplifications were applied in this study, it can be helpful for giving a basic insight about mechanical properties of human Saphenous Vein, which can be followed by more realistic studies in the future.