Strain energy density function and uniform strain hypothesis for arterial mechanics.

Stress distribution through the wall thickness of the canine carotid artery was analyzed on the basis of the uniform strain hypothesis in which the wall circumferential strain was assumed to be constant over the wall cross-section under physiological loading condition. A newly proposed logarithmic type of strain energy density function was used to describe the wall properties. In contrast with other studies, this hypothesis gave almost uniform distribution of wall stresses under the physiological condition and non-zero residual stresses when all external forces were removed.