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Wang X, Carpenter HJ, Ghayesh MH, Kotousov A, Zander AC, Amabili M, Psaltis PJ. A review on the biomechanical behaviour of the aorta. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2023; 144:105922. [PMID: 37320894 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.105922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Large aortic aneurysm and acute and chronic aortic dissection are pathologies of the aorta requiring surgery. Recent advances in medical intervention have improved patient outcomes; however, a clear understanding of the mechanisms leading to aortic failure and, hence, a better understanding of failure risk, is still missing. Biomechanical analysis of the aorta could provide insights into the development and progression of aortic abnormalities, giving clinicians a powerful tool in risk stratification. The complexity of the aortic system presents significant challenges for a biomechanical study and requires various approaches to analyse the aorta. To address this, here we present a holistic review of the biomechanical studies of the aorta by categorising articles into four broad approaches, namely theoretical, in vivo, experimental and combined investigations. Experimental studies that focus on identifying mechanical properties of the aortic tissue are also included. By reviewing the literature and discussing drawbacks, limitations and future challenges in each area, we hope to present a more complete picture of the state-of-the-art of aortic biomechanics to stimulate research on critical topics. Combining experimental modalities and computational approaches could lead to more comprehensive results in risk prediction for the aortic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Wang
- School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia.
| | - Harry J Carpenter
- School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Mergen H Ghayesh
- School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia.
| | - Andrei Kotousov
- School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Anthony C Zander
- School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Marco Amabili
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal H3A 0C3, Canada
| | - Peter J Psaltis
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia; Department of Cardiology, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia; Vascular Research Centre, Heart Health Theme, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
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Wang X, Ghayesh MH, Kotousov A, Zander AC, Dawson JA, Psaltis PJ. Fluid-structure interaction study for biomechanics and risk factors in Stanford type A aortic dissection. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2023:e3736. [PMID: 37258411 DOI: 10.1002/cnm.3736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition with a rising prevalence in the elderly population, possibly as a consequence of the increasing population life expectancy. Untreated aortic dissection can lead to myocardial infarction, aortic branch malperfusion or occlusion, rupture, aneurysm formation and death. This study aims to assess the potential of a biomechanical model in predicting the risks of a non-dilated thoracic aorta with Stanford type A dissection. To achieve this, a fully coupled fluid-structure interaction model was developed under realistic blood flow conditions. This model of the aorta was developed by considering three-dimensional artery geometry, multiple artery layers, hyperelastic artery wall, in vivo-based physiological time-varying blood velocity profiles, and non-Newtonian blood behaviours. The results demonstrate that in a thoracic aorta with Stanford type A dissection, the wall shear stress (WSS) is significantly low in the ascending aorta and false lumen, leading to potential aortic dilation and thrombus formation. The results also reveal that the WSS is highly related to blood flow patterns. The aortic arch region near the brachiocephalic and left common carotid artery is prone to rupture, showing a good agreement with the clinical reports. The results have been translated into their potential clinical relevance by revealing the role of the stress state, WSS and flow characteristics as the main parameters affecting lesion progression, including rupture and aneurysm. The developed model can be tailored for patient-specific studies and utilised as a predictive tool to estimate aneurysm growth and initiation of wall rupture inside the human thoracic aorta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Mergen H Ghayesh
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Andrei Kotousov
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Anthony C Zander
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Joseph A Dawson
- Department of Vascular & Endovascular Surgery, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
- Trauma Surgery Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
- Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Peter J Psaltis
- Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Vascular Research Centre, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, Australia
- Department of Cardiology, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, Australia
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Carpenter HJ, Ghayesh MH, Zander AC, Psaltis PJ. On the nonlinear relationship between wall shear stress topology and multi-directionality in coronary atherosclerosis. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 231:107418. [PMID: 36842347 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2023.107418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE In this paper we investigate twelve multi-directional/topological wall shear stress (WSS) derived metrics and their relationships with the formation of coronary plaques in both computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and dynamic fluid-structure interaction (FSI) frameworks. While low WSS is one of the most established biomechanical markers associated with coronary atherosclerosis progression, alone it is limited. Multi-directional and topological WSS derived metrics have been shown to be important in atherosclerosis related mechanotransduction and near-wall transport processes. However, the relationships between these twelve WSS metrics and the influence of both FSI simulations and coronary dynamics is understudied. METHODS We first investigate the relationships between these twelve WSS derived metrics, stenosis percentage and lesion length through a parametric, transient CFD study. Secondly, we extend the parametric study to FSI, both with and without the addition of coronary dynamics, and assess their correlations. Finally, we present the case of a patient who underwent invasive coronary angiography and optical coherence tomography imaging at two time points 18 months apart. Associations between each of the twelve WSS derived metrics in CFD, static FSI and dynamic FSI simulations were assessed against areas of positive/negative vessel remodelling, and changes in plaque morphology. RESULTS 22-32% stenosis was the threshold beyond which adverse multi-directional/topological WSS results. Each metric produced a different relationship with changing stenoses and lesion length. Transient haemodynamics was impacted by coronary dynamics, with the topological shear variation index suppressed by up to 94%. These changes appear more critical at smaller stenosis levels, suggesting coronary dynamics could play a role in the earlier stages of atherosclerosis development. In the patient case, both dynamics and FSI vs CFD changes altered associations with measured changes in plaque morphology. An appendix of the linear fits between the various FSI- and CFD-based simulations is provided to assist in scaling CFD-based results to resemble the compliant walled characteristics of FSI more accurately. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight the potential for coronary dynamics to alter multi-directional/topological WSS metrics which could impact associations with changes in coronary atherosclerosis over time. These results warrant further investigation in a wider range of morphological settings and longitudinal cohort studies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry J Carpenter
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia.
| | - Mergen H Ghayesh
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia.
| | - Anthony C Zander
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Peter J Psaltis
- Vascular Research Centre, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia; Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia; Department of Cardiology, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
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Carpenter HJ, Ghayesh MH, Zander AC, Li J, Di Giovanni G, Psaltis PJ. Automated Coronary Optical Coherence Tomography Feature Extraction with Application to Three-Dimensional Reconstruction. Tomography 2022; 8:1307-1349. [PMID: 35645394 PMCID: PMC9149962 DOI: 10.3390/tomography8030108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronary optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an intravascular, near-infrared light-based imaging modality capable of reaching axial resolutions of 10–20 µm. This resolution allows for accurate determination of high-risk plaque features, such as thin cap fibroatheroma; however, visualization of morphological features alone still provides unreliable positive predictive capability for plaque progression or future major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Biomechanical simulation could assist in this prediction, but this requires extracting morphological features from intravascular imaging to construct accurate three-dimensional (3D) simulations of patients’ arteries. Extracting these features is a laborious process, often carried out manually by trained experts. To address this challenge, numerous techniques have emerged to automate these processes while simultaneously overcoming difficulties associated with OCT imaging, such as its limited penetration depth. This systematic review summarizes advances in automated segmentation techniques from the past five years (2016–2021) with a focus on their application to the 3D reconstruction of vessels and their subsequent simulation. We discuss four categories based on the feature being processed, namely: coronary lumen; artery layers; plaque characteristics and subtypes; and stents. Areas for future innovation are also discussed as well as their potential for future translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry J. Carpenter
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia;
- Correspondence: (H.J.C.); (M.H.G.)
| | - Mergen H. Ghayesh
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia;
- Correspondence: (H.J.C.); (M.H.G.)
| | - Anthony C. Zander
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia;
| | - Jiawen Li
- School of Electrical Electronic Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia;
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Giuseppe Di Giovanni
- Vascular Research Centre, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; (G.D.G.); (P.J.P.)
| | - Peter J. Psaltis
- Vascular Research Centre, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; (G.D.G.); (P.J.P.)
- Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
- Department of Cardiology, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
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