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
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.