Investigation of the Mechanical Properties of the Human Tracheal Cartilage.

The tracheal cartilage samples of the old patients are significantly stiffer than those of the young patients. Sex and position in the trachea (cranial vs caudal) do not significantly influence the mechanical properties of the human tracheal cartilage samples. The results of this study can be useful in designing tracheal tissue-engineered scaffolds, which should be mechanically compatible with the native trachea.