Figure 3

Computational prediction of SF distributions for biaxially constrained collagen gels after 6 days of culture. The tissues were cyclically stretched immediately (A–L), or after 3 days of static constraint (M–X). Tissues with relatively low (A–C, G–I, M–O, S–U) and high (D–F, J–L, P–R, and V–X) collagen densities were simulated. The cyclic stretch was horizontal with respect to the figure, with increasing amplitude from left to right. The computational simulations predicted that SFs align perpendicular to the applied cyclic stretch in case of immediate stretch (A–L) and in low-density collagen gels (M–O and S–U). Conversely, SFs are isotropic in high-density collagen gels statically constrained for 3 days and cyclically stretched for additional 3 days (P–R and V–X).