1. Introduction
An understanding of the mechanical properties of soft tissues can lead to better comprehension of tissue pathologies and how the tissue reacts, mechanically, towards an implant. Because the mechanical properties, such as stress, of soft tissues cannot be measured directly in vivo, a finite element method will be required to accurately estimate the stress distribution and simulate the interactions between the implant and host tissue. This requires comprehensive and accurate quantitative information on tissue material behavior [5]. Experimental testing is, thus, necessary to provide data for the quantification and characterization of soft tissues. This can usually be accomplished through tensile mechanical testing, such as uniaxial or biaxial testing [4]. Uniaxial testing involves loading of a tissue specimen in one direction, whereas biaxial testing is loading of the specimen in two axes. Tensile mechanical testing, however, is limited in that it cannot provide accurate quantification of the mechanical behavior of soft tissues in the low strain region and with different layers of fibers. Flexure testing, on the contrary, is an effective method of evaluating the force-deformation relationship of different layers of soft tissues. It can complement tensile mechanical testing with its ability to measure the mechanical behavior of soft tissues experiencing very little stress and strain.