Mechanical and morphological characterisation of porcine urethras for the assessment of paediatric urinary catheter safety

This study investigated the mechanical and morphological behavior of porcine urethral tissue to develop a preclinical model for assessing the safety of paediatric urinary catheters. Juvenile porcine urethras were analyzed via pressure–diameter and uniaxial tensile testing. Results showed that pressure-limited inflation at 150 kPa prevented rupture, while uncontrolled inflation caused tearing. Morphology analysis confirmed that 8–12 week pig tissue mimics pediatric urethral geometry. These findings provide a reproducible ex vivo model for evaluating pediatric catheter design and pressure safety thresholds.