ASSESSMENT OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE COMPLIANT AORTIC ROOT ON AORTIC-VALVE MECHANICS BY MEANS OF A GEOMETRICAL MODEL

Citation
A. Redaelli et al., ASSESSMENT OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE COMPLIANT AORTIC ROOT ON AORTIC-VALVE MECHANICS BY MEANS OF A GEOMETRICAL MODEL, Medical engineering & physics, 19(8), 1997, pp. 696-710
Citations number
22
ISSN journal
13504533
Volume
19
Issue
8
Year of publication
1997
Pages
696 - 710
Database
ISI
SICI code
1350-4533(1997)19:8<696:AOTIOT>2.0.ZU;2-Z
Abstract
In recent years several researchers have suggested that the changes in the geometry and angular dimensions of the aortic root which occur du ring the cardiac cycle are functional to the optimisation of aortic va lve function, both in terms of diminishing leaflet stresses and of flu id-dynamic behaviour. The paper presents an analytical parametric mode l of the aortic valve which includes the aortic root movement. The ind exes used to evaluate the valve behaviour are the circumferential memb rane stress and the stress at the free edge of the leaflet, the index of bending strain, the bending of the leaflet at the line attachment i n the radial and circumferential directions and the shape of the condu it formed by the leaflets during systole. In order to evaluate the rol e of geometric changes in valve performance, two control cases were co nsidered, with different reference geometric configuration, where the movement of the aortic root was ignored. The results obtained appear c onsistent with physiological data, especially with regard to the late diastolic phase and the early ejection phase, and put in evidence the role of the aortic root movement in the improvement of valve behaviour . (C) 1997 IPEM Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.