Experimental investigation of the elasticity of the human diaphragm

In a total of 8 male and 8 female corpses each diaphragmatic half was divided into 4 different segments. Each segments stretch behaviour was investigated. In steps of 2 N the stretch was increased up to 24 N.In the female the left diaphragm showed a stronger elasticity compared to the right. Additionally the left diaphragm in females showed a higher elasticity in comparison to the left in males. Traumatic diaphragmatic ruptures affect mostly the central tendineous part or the junction between tendineous and muscular part of the diaphragmatic muscle. Accordingly we found a lower elasticity in these parts compared with the other diaphragmatic segments.In summary it can be said that albeit some restrictions we were able to determine the elasticity of different diaphragmatic segments quantitatively and reproduceably with our presented method. Thereby a comparison of results of different diaphragmatic segments as well as of both diaphragmatic halves and of both genders was possibleDiaphragmatic ruptures arise from blunt trauma. They appear predominantly on the left side [1,2]. A hypothesis for this phenomenon is seen in the protected position of the right diaphragm above the liver. No investigations exist as to whether the preference for the left side could not be caused by a different stretch behaviour of the two diaphragm halves.Since tears mainly occur within the Centrum tendineum or at the junction of tendineous and muscular part of the diaphragm [3], our investigations in corpses focussed especially on the stretch behaviour of the centrum tendineum, the junction between tendineous and muscular part and the connection between diaphragm and the thoracic wall. If the traumatic force mainly involves the thoracic wall it may also disrupt the diaphragm at its costal or vertebral insertions [2,4]. Up to now comparative investigations have not been described in the literature.For this project we investigated human corpses. These persons while still alive had kindly agreed t