Skip to main content
Log in

Effects of severity and location of stenosis on the hemodynamics in human aorta and its branches

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pulsatile blood flow is studied in a three-dimensional model of human thoracic aorta at different stages of atherosclerotic lesion growth, taking into account the effect of atherosclerotic plaque location and peripheral symmetry. The model is reconstructed from the computed tomography images. The wall shear stress (WSS), time-averaged WSS, and the oscillatory shear index are applied to determine susceptible sites for the onset of early atherosclerosis. Then, two different degrees of stenosis severity, 50 and 80 %, are introduced to vulnerable areas of the healthy aorta geometry. The overriding issue addressed is that the WSS distribution and magnitude are strongly affected by the atherosclerotic plaque size, its symmetric features, and the location, i.e., the branch it is formed. The present study, for the first time, is capable of providing information on the high shear environment that may exist upon the rupture of plaque surface and any thrombosis due to platelet deposition. The magnitude of WSS and its distribution at the throat of 50 % stenosed aortic arch are in agreement with the previous numerical study (Huang et al. in Exp Fluids 48(3):497–508, 2010). Results show that WSS values exceed 50 Pa at the throat of 80 % stenosed left common carotid and brachiocephalic arteries.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Barakat AI, Marini RP, Colton CK (1997) Measurement of flow rates through aortic branches in the anesthetized rabbit. Lab Anim Sci 47(2):184–189

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Barakat AI, Karino T, Colton CK (1997) Microcinematographic studies of flow patterns in the excised rabbit aorta and its major branches. Biorheology 34(3):195–221

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Bark DL Jr, Ku DN (2010) Wall shear over high degree stenoses pertinent to atherothrombosis. J Biomech 43:2970–2977

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Cardoso L, Weinbaum S (2014) Changing views of the biomechanics of vulnerable plaque rupture: a review. Ann Biomed Eng 42:415–431

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Chiastra C, Morlacchi S, Gallo D, Morbiducci U, Cárdenes R, Larrabide I, Migliavacca F (2013) Computational fluid dynamic simulations of image-based stented coronary bifurcation models. J R Soc Interface 10:20130193

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Chien S (2003) Molecular and mechanical bases of focal lipid accumulation in arterial wall. Prog Biophys Mol Biol 83:131–151

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Dabagh M, Takabe W, Jalali P,White S, Jo H (2013) Hemodynamic features in stenosed coronary arteries: CFD analysis based on histological images. J Appl Math 1–11 (Article ID 715407)

  8. Dabagh M, Jalali P, Tarbell JM (2009) The transport of LDL across the deformable arterial wall: the effect of endothelial cell turnover and intimal deformation under hypertension. Am J Physiol 297(3):H983–H996

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Debakey ME, Lawrie GM, Glaeser DH (1985) Patterns of atherosclerosis and their surgical significance. Ann Surg 201:115–131

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Feintuch A, Ruengsakulrach P, Lin A, Zhang J, Zhou Y, Bishop J, Davison L, Courtman D, Foster FS, Steinman DA, Henkelman RM, Ethier CR (2007) Hemodynamics in the mouse aortic arch as assessed by MRI, ultrasound, and numerical modeling. Am J Physiol 292:H727–H1207

    Google Scholar 

  11. Fung YC (1997) Biomechanics circulation, 2nd edn, chap 3. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  12. Gao H, Long Q (2008) Effects of varied lipid core volume and fibrous cap thickness on stress distribution in carotid arterial plaques. J Biomech 41:3053–3059

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Huang RF, Yang T, Lan YK (2010) Pulsatile flows and wall-shear stresses in models simulating normal and stenosed aortic arches. Exp Fluids 48(3):497–508

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Huo Y, Guo X, Kassab GS (2008) The flow field along the entire length of mouse aorta and primary branches. Ann Biomed Eng 36(5):685–699

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Soulis JV, Lampri OP, Fytanidis DK, Giannoglou GD (2011) Relative residence time and oscillatory shear index of non-Newtonian flow models in aorta. In: Proceeding of biomedical engineering, 10th international workshop on biomedical engineering

  16. Jozwik K, Obidowski D (2010) Numerical simulations of the blood flow through vertebral arteries. J Biomech 43:177–185

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Kazakidi A, Sherwin SJ, Weinberg PD (2009) Effect of Reynolds number and flow division on patterns of haemodynamic wall shear stress near branch points in the descending thoracic aorta. J R Soc Interface 6(35):539–548

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Khanafer KM, Bull JL, Berguer R (2009) Fluid–structure interaction of turbulent pulsatile flow within a flexible wall axisymmetric aortic aneurysm model. Euro J Mech B Fluids 28:88–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Kim T, Cheer AY, Dwyer HA (2004) A simulated dye method for flow visualization with a computational model for blood flow. J Biomech 37:1125–1136

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Ku DN (1997) Blood flow in arteries. Annu Rev Fluid Mech 29:399–434

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Levesque MJ, Liepsch D, Moravec S, Nerem RM (1986) Correlation of endothelial cell shape and wall shear-stress in a stenosed dog aorta. Arteriosclerosis 6:220–229

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Li JK (2004) Dynamic of the vascular system. World Scientific, Singapore

    Book  Google Scholar 

  23. Markl M, Wegent F, Zech T, Bauer S, Strecker C, Schumacher M, Weiller C, Hennig J, Harloff A (2010) In vivo wall shear stress distribution in the carotid artery: effect of bifurcation. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 3:647–655

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Middleman S (1972) Transport phenomena in the cardiovascular system. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  25. Mori D, Hayasaka T, Yamaguchi T (2002) Modeling of the human aortic arch with its major branches for computational fluid dynamics simulation of the blood flow. JSME Int J 45:997–1002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Morris L, Delassus P, Callanan A, Walsh M, Wallis F, Grace P, McGloughlin T (2005) 3-D numerical simulation of blood flow through models of the human aorta. J Biomech Eng 127:767–775

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Nakamura M, Wada S, Yamaguchi T (2006) Computational analysis of blood flow in an integrated model of the left ventricle and aorta. J Biomech Eng 128:837–843

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Nerem RM, Seed WA, Wood NB (1972) An experimental study of the velocity distribution and transition to turbulence in the aorta. J Fluid Mech 52:137–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Ohayon J, Finet G, Le Floc’h S, Cloutier G, Gharib AM, Heroux J, Pettigrew RI (2014) Biomechanics of atherosclerotic coronary plaque: site, stability and in vivo elasticity modeling. Ann Biomed Eng 42:269–279

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Sultanov RA, Guster D, Engelbrekt B, Blankenbecler R (2008) 3D computer simulations of pulsatile human blood flows in vessels and in the aortic: investigation of non-Newtonian characteristics of human blood. CSE 479–485

  31. Sultanov RA, Guster D, Engelbrekt B, Blankenbecler R (2008) A full dimensional numerical study of pulsatile human blood flow in aortic arch. BIOCOMP 437–443

  32. Ryou HS, Kim S, Kim SW, Cho SW (2012) Construction of healthy arteries using computed tomography and virtual histology intravascular ultrasound. J Biomech 45:1612–1618

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Shahcheraghi N, Dwyer HA, Cheer AY, Barakat AI, Rutaganira T (2002) Unsteady and three-dimensional simulation of blood flow in the human aortic arch. J Biomech Eng 124:378–387

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Singh MP, Sinha PC, Aggarwal M (1978) Flow in the entrance of the aorta. J Fluid Mech 87(1):97–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Smedby O (1997) Do plaques grow upstream or downstream? An angiographic study in the femoral artery. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 17:912–918

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Stary HC, Chandler AB, Dinsmore RE, Fuster V, Glagov S, Insull V, Rosenfeld ME, Schwartz CJ, Wagner WD, Wissler RW (1995) A definition of advanced types of atherosclerotic lesions and a histological classification of atherosclerosis. Circulation 92:1355–1374

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Strony J, Beaudoin A, Brands D, Adelman B (1993) Analysis of shear stress and hemodynamic factors in a model of coronary artery stenosis and thrombosis. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 265:H1787–H1796

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Tarbell JM (2003) Mass transport in arteries and the localization of atherosclerosis. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 5:79–118

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Vasava P, Jalali P, Dabagh M, Kolari P (2012) Finite element modeling of pulsatile blood flow in idealized model of human aortic arch: study of hypotension and hypertension. Comp Math Meth Med (861837)

  40. Vincent PE, Plata AM, Hunt AAE, Weinberg PD, Sherwin SJ (2011) Blood flow in the rabbit aortic arch and descending. J R Soc Interface 8(65):1708–1719

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Wen CY, Yang AS, Tseng LY, Chai JW (2010) Investigation of pulsatile flowfield in healthy thoracic aorta models. Ann Biomed Eng 38:391–402

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Xie X, Wang Y, Zhu H, Zhou J (2014) Computation of hemodynamics in tortuous left coronary artery: a morphological parametric study. J Biomed Eng 136:101006-1–101006-8

    Google Scholar 

  43. Zamir M, Sinclair P, Wonnacott TH (1992) Relation between diameter and flow in major branches of the arch of the aorta. J Biomech 25(11):1303–1310

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

M. Dabagh and P. Jalali would like to thank the financial support from the Academy of Finland (Grant No. 123938). P. Vasava acknowledges support from the Graduate School of Computational Fluid Dynamics in Finland. Special thanks to Matti Sauna-Aho from the South Karelia Central hospital, Lappeenranta, Finland, for providing the computed tomography scans. Authors kindly acknowledge the contribution of Mr. Seyed Mahmoud Mortazavi in the development of the automated method for segmentation of CT images.

Conflict of interest

None of the authors has a conflict of interest regarding this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mahsa Dabagh.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 2090 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Dabagh, M., Vasava, P. & Jalali, P. Effects of severity and location of stenosis on the hemodynamics in human aorta and its branches. Med Biol Eng Comput 53, 463–476 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-015-1253-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-015-1253-3

Keywords

Navigation