The design of meshes for the treatment of incisional hernias could benefit from better knowledge of the mechanical response of the abdominal wall and how this response is affected by the implant. The aim of this study was to characterise the mechanical behaviour of the human abdominal wall. Abdominal walls were tested ex vivo in three states: intact, after creation of a defect simulating an incisional hernia, and after reparation with a mesh implanted intraperitonally. For each state, the abdominal wall was subjected to air pressure loading. Local strain fields were determined using digital image correlation techniques. The strain fields on the internal and external surfaces of the abdominal wall exhibited different patterns.
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