Abstract

This Spring 2018 Semester, I worked in the Musculoskeletal Soft Tissue Lab to help develop a protocol for testing the mechanical properties of a fiber in tendon called elastin. Most of this work was concentrated around replicating previous experiment’s protocols (2) for testing onto a new machine, designing new clamps for this machine to hold the tendon, and testing bovine tendon to see if the experimental protocol successfully replicated previous experiments. This work included using an Instron Machine, and creating a loading regimen that was the same for testing mouse tendon on a Biax Machine. I also began the process of changing the design of the clamps and machine in order to treat the tendons with an enzyme solution called elastase which is used to degrade the elastin in the tendon (3). Throughout the semester I was able to successfully replicate the protocol from previous experiments, as well as gather encouraging data on bovine tendon, which indicates the experiment will be replicable on the new machine. I’m also in the process of creating a final set of clamps which will later be machine and used for mechanical testing.

Document Type

Final Report

Author's School

McKelvey School of Engineering

Author's Department

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Class Name

Mechanical Engineering and Material Sciences Independent Study

Date of Submission

5-10-2018

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