Contribution of collagen and elastin fibers to the mechanical behavior of an abdominal connective tissue

- Tensile tests combined with microstructure observation were performed on linea alba.
- Transversal and oblique collagen fibers of this bilayer led to anisotropic behavior.
- Reorientation of oblique fibers toward the tensile axis induced non-linear behavior.
- Elastin fibers were responsible for the elastic recoil of collagen fibers.