Understanding male urethral mechanics: from ex vivo testing to mathematical modelling and in situ assessment, a review.
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Urology, Regenerative Medicine Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, Netherlands, 3584 CT
- 2Department of Materials and Production, Aalborg University, Fibigerstraede 16, Aalborg, Denmark, 9220
- 3Faculty of Medicine
- 4Aalborg University
Abstract
Male urethral disorders, in particular hypospadias and urethral stricture, frequently require reconstructive surgery. However, current autologous grafts fail to replicate the supportive bed provided by the corpus spongiosum, contributing to high recurrence rates. Developing functional, off-the-shelf tissue-engineered replacements requires a comprehensive understanding of urethral mechanics, which remains fragmented in the literature. Here, we review and integrate diverse methodologies—including ex vivo mechanical testing, mathematical modelling, and in situ clinical assessments—to elucidate the complex, anisotropic, and viscoelastic properties of the male urethra. This multidimensional approach highlights physiological pressure ranges, tissue compliance, and biomechanical behaviour under dynamic conditions, stressing urethral mechanics' location- and orientation-dependency. We provide standardised mechanical guidelines and modelling frameworks that can guide the design of biomimetic urethral grafts. Ultimately, this work advances the understanding of urethral mechanics, informing regenerative medicine strategies aimed at improving long-term outcomes for patients with urethral disorders.
Related
- The Tenocyte from Atom to Cell: A Critical Multiscale Synthesis Linking Collagen Chemistry, Tissue Mechanics, Cell Mechanobiology and Mathematical Modelling
- Understanding global practice patterns in bulbar urethral reconstruction to inform urethroplasty training
- Challenges and opportunities of integrating imaging and mathematical modelling to interrogate biological processes
- Mathematical Modelling of Stochastic Gene Expression Quantifies mRNA Heterogeneity in Cancer Cell Populations with Extrachromosomal DNA
- Contribution of achieving poverty eradication (Sustainable Development Goal 1) to the end tuberculosis strategy in Latin America: a multi-country mathematical modelling analysis
BibTeX
@misc{martinier2026understanding,
title = {{Understanding male urethral mechanics: from ex vivo testing to mathematical modelling and in situ assessment, a review.}},
author = {Isabelle Martinier and Jiaxin Qin and Laetitia de Kort and Wouter van Dort and Jesper de Claville Christiansen and Cristian Pablo Pennisi and Petra de Graaf},
howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15008152/v1},
url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008152/v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Understanding male urethral mechanics: from ex vivo testing to mathematical modelling and in situ assessment, a review.
AU - Isabelle Martinier
AU - Jiaxin Qin
AU - Laetitia de Kort
AU - Wouter van Dort
AU - Jesper de Claville Christiansen
AU - Cristian Pablo Pennisi
AU - Petra de Graaf
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
PB - ChemRxiv
DO - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15008152/v1
UR - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008152/v1
AB - Male urethral disorders, in particular hypospadias and urethral stricture, frequently require reconstructive surgery. However, current autologous grafts fail to replicate the supportive bed provided by the corpus spongiosum, contributing to high recurrence rates. Developing functional, off-the-shelf tissue-engineered replacements requires a comprehensive understanding of urethral mechanics, which remains fragmented in the literature. Here, we review and integrate diverse methodologies—including ex vivo mechanical testing, mathematical modelling, and in situ clinical assessments—to elucidate the complex, anisotropic, and viscoelastic properties of the male urethra. This multidimensional approach highlights physiological pressure ranges, tissue compliance, and biomechanical behaviour under dynamic conditions, stressing urethral mechanics' location- and orientation-dependency. We provide standardised mechanical guidelines and modelling frameworks that can guide the design of biomimetic urethral grafts. Ultimately, this work advances the understanding of urethral mechanics, informing regenerative medicine strategies aimed at improving long-term outcomes for patients with urethral disorders.
ER -