Strain gradient elasticity and stress fibers

Since stress fibers have micro-size dimensions, their biomechanical behavior should demand mechanical models conforming with gradient strain deformation theories. In particular, the torsion and the stretching of stress fibers are discussed into the context of strain gradient elasticity theory and their size effects. It is proven for the torsion problem that the torsion moment varies with the axial length of the bar for constant twist angle, whereas for the simple tension problem, the strain is non-uniform along the stress fiber. The proposed theory is supported by experimental evidence. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.