Optimal mechanical operation in the vicinity of curved vasculature

TL;DR

This study investigates how the vessel wall thickness of the aortic arch varies circumferentially to maintain uniform stress distribution, supporting optimal mechanical conditions for vascular cells through 3D modeling and simulation.

Contribution

It introduces a model linking vessel wall thickness variation to uniform stress distribution, advancing understanding of aortic arch biomechanics.

Findings

Vessel wall thickness varies circumferentially.

Circumferential stress distribution is uniform.

Supports the principle of optimal mechanical operation.

Abstract

It has been shown that geometrical, structural properties vary along the length of the aortic arch. There is a scarcity of studies focus on the variation in the vessel wall thickness of aortic arch. The central premise of this study is that considering the variation in the vessel wall thickness along the circumference of the aortic arch to be governed by the uniform stress distribution across the vessel wall, meeting the principle of optimal mechanical operation of which the distribution of stress across the vessel wall is assumed to be uniform so as to create a favorable mechanical environment for the mechanosensitive resident vascular cells. Aortic arch was created with image-derived three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction technique. A structure-motivated constitutive model was utilized in the numerical modeling and direct boundary value problem was solved. Stress distribution across the vessel wall under physiological loading condition was predicted in circumferential direction to test the role of the wall thickness. The results showed the variation of the vessel wall thickness in the circumferential direction and uniform distribution of the circumferential stress in the aortic wall which implies a favorable mechanical environment for the resident mechano-sensitive vascular smooth muscle cells. Correlation of geometrical and simulation data support the proposed principle of optimal mechanical operation for the aortic arch.