INTIMAL THICKENING UNDER SHEAR IN A CAROTID BIFURCATION - A NUMERICALSTUDY

In the present study, a model for intimal thickening proposed by Fried man and his co-workers is employed to simulate the growth of intima in a carotid bifurcation with a steady how. The computer code developed is a pressure-based, finite volume method in a boundary-fitted coordin ate system. A model bifurcation is used to demonstrate the usefulness of the numerical tool. The predicted results are consistent with the a vailable experimental observations. The localization of plaques is sho wn. It is found that thicker intima is formed in preferential regions near the junction and the carotid bulb due to relatively low wall shea r stresses. The intimal thickening tends to reduce the size of low she ar regions. It is also found that the new geometry resulting from the thickening yields a more even stress distribution over the bifurcation . The effect of the branching ratio on the distribution of intimal thi ckening is also studied. The computer code provides a potential tool f or visualization of intimal thickening.