CALIBRATION OF MATERIAL MODELS FOR THE HUMAN CERVICAL SPINE LIGAMENT BEHAVIOUR USING A GENETIC ALGORITHM

Research of biomaterials in loading conditions has become a significant field in the material science nowadays. In order to provide better understanding of the loading effects on material structures, complex material models are usually chosen, depending on their applicability to the material under consideration. In order to provide as accurate as possible the material behavior modeling of the human cervical spine ligaments, the procedure for calibration of two material models has been evaluated. The calibration of material models was based on the genetic algorithm procedure in order to make possible optimization of material parameters identification for the chosen models. The influence of genetic algorithm operators upon the results in evaluated procedure has been tested and discussed here and the simulated behavior of the material has been compared to the experimentally recorded stress stretch relationship of the material under consideration. Since various influential factors contribute to the genetic algorithm performance in calibration of complex material models and identification of material parameters, additional possible improvements have been suggested for further research.