Blood Flow and Vortices in Aortic Aneurysms
Author Information
Author(s): Biasetti Jacopo, Hussain Fazle, Gasser T. Christian
Primary Institution: The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden
Hypothesis
There is a correlation between vortical structures in blood flow and the formation of intra-luminal thrombus in abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Conclusion
The study provides a mechanism for how vortices in blood flow may contribute to thrombus formation in abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Supporting Evidence
- Vortical structures were found to correlate with high wall shear stress in the normal aorta.
- In the fusiform AAA, large vortices developed at sites of tortuous geometry and high wall shear stress.
- Downward motion of vortices in the AAA was observed to be a few centimeters per cardiac cycle.
Takeaway
This study looks at how swirling patterns in blood flow can help form clots in weak spots of blood vessels, especially in people with aortic aneurysms.
Methodology
The study used computational fluid dynamics simulations to analyze blood flow in normal and aneurysmatic aortas, focusing on the development of vortical structures and their relationship to thrombus formation.
Limitations
The study primarily focused on simulations and may not fully capture all biological complexities of thrombus formation in vivo.
Participant Demographics
The study involved patient-specific geometries reconstructed from CT scans of individuals with abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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