This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Mosafa, P., Rodriguez-Ferran, A., Muñoz, J.J. Hybrid cell-centred/vertex model for multicellular systems with equilibrium-preserving remodelling. "International journal for numerical methods in biomedical engineering - Online", Març 2018, vol. 34, núm. 3, p. 1-24, which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cnm.2928/pdf. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving

We present a hybrid vertex/cell-centred model for mechanically simulating planar cellular monolayers undergoing cell reorganisation. Cell centres are represented by a triangular nodal network, while the cell boundaries are formed by an associated vertex network. The two networks are coupled through a kinematic constraint which we allow to relax progressively. Special attention is paid to the change of cell-cell connectivity due to cell reorganisation or remodelling events. We handle these situations by using a variable resting length and applying an Equilibrium-Preserving Mapping (EPM) on the new connectivity, which computes a new set of resting lengths that preserve nodal and vertex equilibrium. We illustrate the properties of the model by simulating monolayers subjected to imposed extension and during a wound healing process. The evolution of forces and the EPM are analysed during the remodelling events. As a by-product, the proposed technique enables to recover fully vertex or fully cell-centred models in a seamless manner by modifying a numerical parameter of the model. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Peer Reviewed