Collagen Shapes Fingertip Surface Strains during Normal Loading

Abstract

When making contact, fingertip mechanoreceptors respond to the skin deformation, and provide essential information for tactile perception and object manipulation. Since subsurface measurements remain challenging, strains close to the receptors are commonly estimated using numerical models. Here, we present a biomechanical finite element model simulating fingertip normal loading against a flat plate. Several model variants are designed to isolate the role of tissue heterogeneity and collagen-induced anisotropy. Their predictions are compared to experimental data of fingertip surface strains obtained with 3-D stereo imaging. By varying the stiffness contrast and fiber orientation, we demonstrate that incorporating collagen anisotropy is required to reproduce strain localization at the contact edge while maintaining realistic global shape changes. In particular, fibers aligned parallel to the skin surface induce local skin thickening and a pronounced radial expansion beneath the contact edge, affecting mechanoreceptors. This observation suggests a collagen-mediated contribution to the deep transmission of mechanical stimuli. These results highlight collagen architecture as a key determinant of fingertip mechanics and underscore its importance for accurate modeling of tactile interactions.