Biomechanical behaviors and visco-hyperelastic mechanical properties of human hernia patches with polypropylene mesh

As popular medical devices, human hernia patches woven with polypropylene meshes are very popular in clinical abdominal leak repair surgery, owing to their good flexibility and elasticity. However, research on the me-chanical properties of polypropylene materials remains at a superficial level, and current medical professionals generally lack awareness of the biomechanical properties of hernia repair. In this study, a dynamic ramp test under a body temperature environment and characterization of a quasi-linear viscoelastic and Gasser-Ogden-Holzapfel (QLV-HGO) visco-hyperelastic constitutive model were conducted on strip specimens of a hernia patch weaved with a polypropylene mesh with a specific microstructure. A finite element numerical model virtually reproduced the visco-hyperelastic mechanical state of the stretched polypropylene hernia patch with constitutive parameters. The results indicate that the nonlinear mechanical response of the polypropylene mesh is closely related to its deformation range and rate. The strips exhibit excellent visco-hyperelastic mechanical properties and can be well characterized by the QLV-HGO constitutive model. The structure and biomechanics of hernia patches are further clarified, making this study beneficial in providing theoretical guidance for hernia repair surgery.

Automated summary

This study investigates the mechanical properties of polypropylene hernia patches and proposes a quasi-linear viscoelastic and Gasser-Ogden-Holzapfel visco-hyperelastic constitutive model. The results reveal a close relationship between the mechanical response of the polypropylene mesh and its deformation range and rate. This research further clarifies the structure and biomechanics of hernia patches, providing theoretical guidance for hernia repair surgery.