The diaphragm is a mammalian skeletal muscle that plays a fundamental role in the process of respiration. Alteration of its mechanical properties due to a diaphragmatic hernia contributes towards compromising its respiratory functions, leading to the need for surgical intervention to restore the physiological conditions by means of implants. This study aims to assess via numerical modeling biomechanical differences between a diaphragm in healthy conditions and a herniated diaphragm surgically repaired with a polymeric implant, in a mouse model.

Finite Element models of healthy and repaired diaphragms are developed from diagnostic images and anatomical samples. The mechanical response of the diaphragmatic tendon is described by assuming an isotropic hyperelastic model. A similar constitutive model is used to define the mechanical behavior of the polymeric implant, while the muscular tissue is modeled by means of a three-element Hill’s model, specifically adapted to mouse muscle fibers.

The Finite Element Analysis is addressed to simulate diaphragmatic contraction in the eupnea condition, allowing the evaluation of diaphragm deformation in healthy and herniated-repaired conditions. The polymeric implant reduces diaphragm excursion compared to healthy conditions. This explains the possible alteration in the mechanical functionality of the repaired diaphragm. Looking to the surgical treatment of diaphragmatic hernia in human neonatal subjects, this study suggests the implementation of alternative approaches based on the use of biological implants.

隔膜是哺乳动物的骨骼肌，在呼吸过程中起着重要的作用。由于a肌疝引起的机械性能改变会损害其呼吸功能，导致需要进行外科手术以通过植入物恢复生理状况。这项研究旨在通过数值模型评估健康模型中的隔膜与在小鼠模型中用聚合物植入物进行手术修复的疝状隔膜之间的生物力学差异。

从诊断图像和解剖样本中得出健康和修复后的隔膜的有限元模型。通过假设各向同性超弹性模型来描述the肌腱的机械响应。类似的本构模型用于定义聚合物植入物的机械性能，而肌肉组织则通过三元素希尔模型进行建模，该模型专门适用于小鼠肌肉纤维。

有限元分析的目的是模拟在通气状态下的diaphragm肌收缩，从而可以评估健康和疝气修复状态下的conditions肌变形。与健康状况相比，该聚合物植入物可减少diaphragm肌偏移。这解释了维修后的隔膜的机械功能可能发生改变。展望人类新生儿subjects肌疝的手术治疗，这项研究提出了基于生物植入物的替代方法的实施。