Multiscale Finite Element Modelling of Weight Bearing Adipose Tissues

Biomechanical studies of obesity revealed that a sedentary life style and prolonged sitting and lying periods that involves predominantly static mechanical loads acting upon and within adipocytes stimulates mechanobiological-driven adipogenesis. We developed a three dimensional multi-scale finite element modelling approach in order to correlate macro scale mechanical loads in the adipose tissues of the buttocks with micro-scale cellular deformations and differentiation levels in adipocytes. We found that in the macro scale model, the maximal strains occurred under the sacral bone, in fat and the muscle tissues. In the micro scale model, the maximal strains developed in the more mature adipocytes. Interpreting our results, we suggest a positive feedback loop regulating fat mass, where mature adipocytes are being triggered to accumulate more lipids and grow by mechanical stimulation per se. Our results are relevant to obesity research and other related diseases, since biomechanical stimuli directly influence adipogenesis at the cell scale and growth of adipose tissue at the macro scale.