Mechanical properties of cervical dura mater

The aim of the study was to determine experimentally the stress as strain function as well as the orthotropy and heterogeneity of porcine dura mater of the cervical spinal cord. Material was divided into groups based on the place of collection, considering the dorsal side and ventral side, specifying the number of cervical vertebra, and the direction of tension of the sample - longitudinal or circumferential. Experimental studies were conducted with the MTS Synergie 100 testing machine. The tensile test was performed for each sample at a speed of 2 mm/min until the sample's break. There were determined the characteristics of stress as a function of strain in particular samples. Distribution maps of the stress and strain values at the characteristic points were then drawn (the beginning and the end of the linear range of the stress-strain characteristic and the point corresponding to the complete sample damage) for each set of samples, taking account of their collection place and direction of tension. The results confirmed the orthotropy of mechanical properties of dura mater. Stress and strain differed also in the value at the height of each vertebra and exhibited diversification on the ventral side compared to dorsal one.