The extension rate independence of the hysteresis in glutaraldehyde-fixed bovine pericardium.

Glutaraldehyde-fixed bovine pericardium demonstrates both relaxation of stress and hysteresis during uniaxial loading and unloading. These phenomena suggest viscoelastic behaviour of the material. This study uses analysis of variance to test statistically the hypothesis that the chemically modified pericardium possesses a 'fading memory' for the history of previous load procedures and that the hysteresis is extension rate independent.