Affiliations: Imaging Research Labs, The John P. Robarts Research Institute, Canada N6A 5K8 | Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada N6A 5K8
Note: [] Address for correspondence: David A. Steinman, Ph.D., Imaging Research Labs, The John P. Robarts Research Institute, 100 Perth Drive, P.O. Box 5015, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5K8. Tel.: +1 519 663 5777, ext.: 34113; Fax: +1 519 663 3078; E‐mail: steinman@irus.rri.ca.
Abstract: The human carotid artery bifurcation is a complex, three‐dimensional structure exhibiting non‐planarity and both in‐ and out‐of‐plane curvature. The aim of this study was to determine the relative importance of vessel planarity, a potential geometric risk factor for atherogenesis, in determining the local hemodynamics. A combination of computational fluid dynamics and magnetic resonance imaging was used to reconstruct the subject‐specific hemodynamics for three subjects. Planar models were then constructed by translating the centroids of the lumen contours onto a plane defined by the centroids of the vessel branches near the bifurcation apex. A novel “patching” technique was used to convert the continuous arterial surfaces into contiguous but discrete patches according to an objective scheme, making it possible to compare the original and planar models without the need for registration and warping. Results suggest that the planarity of the vessel has a relatively minor effect on the spatial distribution of mean and oscillatory wall shear stress. Out‐of‐plane curvature was, however, found to have a marked influence on the extent and magnitude of these hemodynamic variables. We conclude that vessel curvature – whether in‐ or out‐of‐plane – rather than planarity may deserve further scrutiny as a potential geometric risk for atherogenesis.
Keywords: Computational fluid dynamics, magnetic resonance imaging, atherosclerosis, geometric risk
Journal: Biorheology, vol. 39, no. 3-4, pp. 443-448, 2002
