Visco-elastic properties of isolated detrusor smooth muscle.

The generation of force by the contractile apparatus and the modulation of that force by the intra- and extracellular matrix are the initial steps in the production of bladder wall tension. The biomechanical components contributing to the observed rise in bladder wall tension may be studied in isolated detrusor tissue and attempts can be made to isolate these. The problem is to determine whether clinically observed alterations in detrusor function are due to changes in the contractile apparatus or in the surrounding matrix. This review discusses the viscoelastic properties of detrusor muscle, concentrates upon the influence of bladder outflow obstruction on the mechanical properties of the detrusor in an attempt to understand changes in contractile function.