Multiscale Adaptive Finite Element Computations for Soft Tissue Biomechanics

The mechanical function of soft collagenous tissues is inherently multiscale, with the tissue dimension being in the centimeter length scale and the underlying collagen network being in the micrometer length scale. The strong sensitivity of soft tissues to network orientation and fiber-fiber interactions necessitates the incorporation of both scales in a multiscale methodology [1,2] in order to predict their mechanical response. The computational demands of a multiscale methodology, however, are strenuous and the use of parallel processing and adaptivity are required for succeeding acceptable solution times.