Experimental and theoretical investigation on soft tissue remodeling enhanced by cell activity

The aim of the present work is to investigate the remodeling phenomenon of a cell-seeded tissue. In experiments, a cell seeded condensed collagen gel is mechanically stimulated in a bioreactor for four weeks, after which the specimen is tested in compression to measure its change of stiffness. The change, regarded as remodeling, is assumed to be the result of newly synthesized collagen type II; a constitutive equation is proposed for the remodeling effect. (© 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)