Quantification of the Elastic and Relaxation Properties of Human Tunica Albuginea under Biaxial Loading

Peyronie's disease (PD) affects the tunica albuginea of the penis with a formation of dense and fibrous plaques. The plaques can cause a variety of symptoms in the patient such as pain during erection, erectile dysfunction, and penile disfigurement. There are many treatment options available, though none without disadvantages. Quantification of the material properties of the tunica tissue can inform potentially improved treatments. In this study tunica tissue (n=5) from donors were tested biaxially along the circumferential and longitudinal directions to a specified load magnitude and maintained at a fixed displacement for 30 minutes to allow for stress relaxation. The loading and relaxation were then repeated for a second time. Stiffness, Young's Modulus, strain at inflection point between the toe region and linear region on the stress-strain curve, as well as percent stress relaxation after 30 minutes were compared between anatomic directions and ramp number. Only stiffness and percent relaxation showed a statistically significant difference between ramps 1 and 2, regardless of direction (p = 0.012). The results from this study report the baseline data of the biaxial mechanical properties of the tunica albuginea to be used for future comparisons to the properties of PD and graft tissue.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Engineering Mechanics

Department dc:contributor.department

Engineering Science and Mechanics

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Hou, Sindy Siyuan

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Wang, Vincent M.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• De Vita, Raffaella
• Arena, Sara Louise

• biaxial
• tunica albuginea
• stress relaxation

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:21975

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/102703