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Modelling and numerical simulation of the human aortic arch under in vivo conditions

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Abstract

This work presents the modelling and simulation of the mechanical behaviour of the human aortic arch under in vivo conditions with pressure levels within the normal and hypertension physiological range. The cases studied correspond to young and aged arteries without cardiovascular pathologies. First, the tissue of these two groups is characterised via in vitro tensile test measurements that make it possible to derive the material parameters of a hyperelastic isotropic constitutive model. Then, these material parameters are used in the simulation of young and aged aortic arches subjected to in vivo normal and hypertension conditions. Overall, the numerical results were found not only to provide a realistic description of the mechanical behaviour of the vessel but also to be useful data that allow the adequate definition of stress/stretch-based criteria to predict its failure.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their appreciation to Dr. R. Burgos and C. García-Montero of the Hospital de Puerta de Hierro in Madrid for providing the arterial tissues analysed in this work. The support provided by the FONDECYT Project No. 11090266 of the Chilean Council of Research and Technology (CONICYT) is gratefully acknowledged. Conflict of interest The authors have no conflicting interests associated with this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH, Av. Bernardo O’Higgins 3363, Santiago de Chile, Chile

    Claudio M. García-Herrera

  2. Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica y Metalúrgica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago de Chile, Chile

    Diego J. Celentano

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  1. Claudio M. García-Herrera
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  2. Diego J. Celentano
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Correspondence to Claudio M. García-Herrera.

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García-Herrera, C.M., Celentano, D.J. Modelling and numerical simulation of the human aortic arch under in vivo conditions. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 12, 1143–1154 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10237-013-0471-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10237-013-0471-6

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