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Mechanics of the Thoracic Aortic Wall

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Surgical Management of Aortic Pathology

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Abstract

The study of the mechanical processes that occur within the aorta—both healthy and diseased—from an engineering perspective is rapidly progressing. Understanding the exact biomechanical processes that underlie aortic disease, such as aortic aneurysm, dissection, and rupture, is a critical supplement to clinical studies of the natural history of these diseases. Engineering analysis promises to enhance management and timing of surgical intervention. In this chapter we discuss the current understanding of the mechanics of the thoracic aorta and thoracic aortic aneurysm based on in vivo and ex vivo studies. We address also the clinical application of engineering insights and their significance for surgical decision-making.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aortic Institute at Yale-New Haven Hospital, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Bulat A. Ziganshin & John A. Elefteriades

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  1. Bulat A. Ziganshin
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  2. John A. Elefteriades
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Correspondence to John A. Elefteriades .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fmr Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK

    Olaf H. Stanger

  2. Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK

    John R. Pepper

  3. Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Lars G. Svensson

1 Electronic Supplementary Material

Illustration of the biaxial stretch experiments with samples of the thoracic aorta (MOV 19780 kb)

The use of 4-D MRI to assess flow parameters within the aorta (Video courtesy of Northwestern University, Department of Diagnostics Image) (MOV 14682 kb)

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Ziganshin, B.A., Elefteriades, J.A. (2019). Mechanics of the Thoracic Aortic Wall. In: Stanger, O., Pepper, J., Svensson, L. (eds) Surgical Management of Aortic Pathology. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-4874-7_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-4874-7_10

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