Axial stretch simulationIn-silico stretching in the axial direction. The colour palette represents the distribution of axial projections of intercellular forces SX, [N].X-stretch_X_stress.aviCircumferential stretch simulationIn-silico stretching in circumferential direction. The colour palette represents the distribution of circumferential projections of intercellular forces SZ, [N].Z-stretch.aviStent deployment simulation.Stent deployment is simulated by imposing a kinematic boundary condition on the radial displacements of the cells contacting with the struts (these cells are shown in red in Figure 10a). The radial displacements of stent struts equal to 0.1 of the vessel’s inner radius. The colour palette represents the distribution of circumferential projections of intercellular forces SFI, [N].stenting_slow.aviOpening angle modellingSimulation of an open angle formation for a ring fragment of tunica media with an axial cut. The colour palette represents the circumferential forces distribution SFI, [N]op_angle_bend_asym_force3D.avi

A three-dimensional cell-based mechanical model of coronary artery tunica media is proposed. The model is composed of spherical cells forming a hexagonal close-packed lattice. Tissue anisotropy is taken into account by varying interaction forces with the direction of intercellular connection. Several cell-centre interaction potentials for repulsion and attraction are considered, including the Hertz contact model and its neo-Hookean extension, the Johnson–Kendall–Roberts model of adhesive contact, and a wormlike chain model. The model is validated against data from in vitro uni-axial tension tests performed on dissected strips of tunica media. The wormlike chain potential in combination with the neo-Hookean Hertz contact model produces stress–stretch curves which represent the experimental data very well.