A Matlab-Based Cardiac Mechanics Course: Exportable Tools for Graduate-Level Soft Tissue Biomechanics

Graduate courses in finite elasticity and soft tissue biomechanics must deliver substantial theoretical content to prepare students for the complexities of soft tissue mechanics. In the laboratory students often discover that practical tasks such as calculating three-dimensional finite strain from marker data or reconstructing three-dimensional marker positions from two-dimensional views are not obvious despite mastery of the underlying theory. This course sought to replace as much didactic time as possible with hands-on MATLAB programming and simulations to illustrate basic theory and help students make the bridge to practical applications.