Nonuniform lung deformations.

This review evaluates the progress that has been made in describing the lung as a deformable solid and in using the methods of solid mechanics to answer questions about nonuniform lung deformations and parenchymal interdependence. The interdependence effect on the large intrapulmonary vessels has been successfully analyzed by these methods, but the modeling and analysis of the effects of gravity and chest wall shape on lung expansion are far from complete.