Elastic Properties of Normal Breast Tissues Using an Indentation Protocol - Preliminary Study

Abstract

The mechanical properties of breast tissues are important for medical diagnose since the stiffness changes with a pathology. The mechanical behavior of breast tissues has been investigated, however the results in literature are not coherent.s The experimental protocols are not standardized and the need of preconditioning is still debatable, which might be one of the reasons for the variety of results. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the elastic properties of normal breast tissues, considering the effect of preconditioning. Indentation tests were performed and hysteresis was observed. The Young’s modulus ranged from 3.2 ± 0.4 kPa to 8.8 ± 1.1 kPa and from 43.0 ± 5.2 kPa to 117.6 ± 14.2 kPa in the first and second linear regions, respectively. Moreover, the preconditioning increased the stiffness on the first linear region. Despite being a preliminary study, important considerations about the experimental protocol were obtained.