Evolution of myocardial constitutive relations

Major developments in the assessment of myocardial constitutive relations are outlined as they illustrate the progressive sophistication in experimental soft tissue mechanics. An evolution in the determination of constitutive relations is described that includes a variety of experimental techniques and different approaches to data analysis. Three approaches to the determination of a specific functional form are considered. One approach relies on the assumption of a particular form. The second approach utilizes data to directly infer the functional form. The third approach is based on the properties and kinematics of all the material´s constituents. Data from macroscopic tests then guide selection of a particular relation