A mathematical model for irreversible damage of the collagen scaffold in the myocardium
Code:
71/2026
Title:
A mathematical model for irreversible damage of the collagen scaffold in the myocardium
Date:
Thursday 24th September 2026
Author(s):
Radisic, I.; Regazzoni, F.; Dede', L.; Quarteroni, A.
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Abstract:
We propose a dissipative, irreversible damage model for anisotropic media in large deformations to address the damage process of the myocardium following a cardiac infarction. We model damage to the collagen in the cleavage planes resulting from an increased load to the passive tissue. Starting from variational principles, we derive a quasi-static differential model governing the irreversible evolution of the damage. We apply our model to two test cases. First, a rectangular passive slab geometry to which an indenter-like load is applied. Then, we couple our model with a model for the numerical simulation of left ventricular electromechanics. The computational results obtained with our novel mathematical model show that a redistribution of the load within a left ventricle occurring following a cardiac infarction can produce the damage to the collagen scaffold in the infarcted area consistent with experimental results. Our model and results support the evidence that passive load-dependent dissipative phenomena are implicated in post-infarction remodelling.