Mechanical Response of Bio-Inspired Suture Interface under Dynamic Loading*

Biological suture interfaces are prevalent in various species in nature. Through mechanical modeling and experiments, it was found that the zigzag suture morphology is one key feature to maximize the overall strength and minimize the weight in resisting static mechanical loads. However, in different biological systems, the sutures often carry both static and dynamic loads. It is not well understood how the sutures respond to dynamic loading. Sudden dynamic loading scenarios often lead to undesirable mechanical responses and cause catastrophic failure. It is critical to study the mechanical behaviors of sutures under dynamic loads and reveal the mechanics behind them.
Numerical simulations of the general trapezoidal sutures under various dynamic loading cases are performed. Specimens are fabricated via additive manufacturing. Impact loading tests in the directions both parallel and perpendicular to the suture direction are conducted. In this investigation, we focus on evaluate the influences of the three key design factors of sutures: the suture waviness and geometry, the number of hierarchy, and the introduction of an interphase.