Comparative finite element modelling of aneurysm formation and physiologic inflation in the descending aorta

Abstract

Despite the general interest in aneurysm rupture prediction, the aneurysm formation has received limited attention. The goal of this study is to assess whether an aneurysm may be instigated in a healthy model of an aorta inflated by a supra-physiological pressure. The effect of two main aspects on numerical predictions has been explored: i) the geometric design and ii) the constitutive law adopted to represent the material properties. Firstly, higher values of wall stress and displacement magnitude were generated in the physiologic model compared to the cylindrical one when assigning the same material properties. Secondly, greater deformations are observed in the anisotropic model compared to the isotropic one.

Keywords:

• Fung
• anisotropic
• finite element
• aorta
• aneurysm

Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to Mr Shyam Chavda for proofreading the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no potential conflict of interests.

Additional information

Funding

The last author gratefully acknowledge the support of research by an EPSRC grant (EP/M014711/1).