Finite element simulation of skeletal muscular structures obtained from images of histological serial sections.

Abstract

In this study, we present a method for the three-dimensional reconstruction of objects obtained from histological serial sections (exemplified by those of a pennate striated skeletal muscle) and its application to the finite element method. A hyperelastic material model is used for modeling biological soft tissue. The reconstruction process relies on the direct construction of a volumetric mesh using an octree approach which leads to a stable finite element method. Stability can be expressed in the spectral matrix condition number. To visualize stress patterns within the underlying anatomy the simulation results are projected onto images of the histological scenario.