Mechanical modeling of medical mesh implants at the mesoscale

The present study is aimed at a physically based mechanical model for prosthetic meshes at the mesoscale. The geometry and the local kinematics of a representative unit cell are mapped in an abstracted, but still physically relevant description. Such a model allows to understand the interplay between local deformation patterns and the resulting global anisotropic and nonlinear force response. It is expected to provide design criteria for mesh implant optimization, not only accounting for the global mechanical behavior but also for local mesh-tissue interactions. (© 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)