BIOMECHANICS OF SMALL-BOWEL MOTILITY

A biochemical model and results of numerical simulation of the propaga tion of electromechanical waves of deformation alone the small bowel a re presented. The organ in modelled as a soft orthotropic cylindrical biological shell reinforced by orthogonally interwoven smooth muscle e lements, embedded in a connective tissue network. The dynamic reaction starts as a response to the propagation of a depolarization wave alon g the smooth muscle layers. The muscle layers contract independently b ut in a coordinated way with the generation of active forces. The mech anical properties of the wall are assumed to be nonlinear. Deformation s of the bioshell are finite. The governing system of equations is obt ained and solved numerically. The finite-difference method of the seco nd order accuracy over the time and space variables was used. The dyna mics of strain distribution in the biological shell and shape changes are analysed.