Material Properties of the Post-Mortem Stomach in High-Rate Equibiaxial Elongation

Risk of serious abdominal injury in motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) is substantially reduced with the proper use of seatbelts [1]. However, a significant increase in occurrence of gastrointestinal tract injury exists with belt loading [2]. Crash-induced injuries of the stomach that occur in MVCs include gastric rupture and laceration [3]. To characterize the biomechanical response of the stomach associated with these failure modes, the multidirectional failure properties of cruciate tissue samples were investigated with high-rate biaxial stretch.