Table 2.

Independent predictors of material stiffness for the circumferential and axial direction

	Independent predictors of material stiffness
	Circumferential R2 = 0.74		Axial R2 = 0.68
	Standardized B coefficients	p value	Standardized B coefficients	p value
Age	0.54	p < 0.001	0.3	p = 0.02
Elastase	−0.38	p < 0.001	−0.48	p < 0.001
Body Mass	0.27	p = 0.02	0.42	p = 0.03

The model fit each direction reasonably well, with a modestly higher R² value in the circumferential direction (R² = 0.74 versus R² = 0.68). Age, elastase treatment, and body mass were significant factors for both directions. The predictive capability of each variable was assessed by the standardized beta (B) values. Age was the variable with the highest predictive capacity for the circumferential direction, however, elastase treatment demonstrated the highest predictive capability for the axial direction.