A 3-D thin-wall model with fluid-structure interactions for blood flow in carotid arteries with symmetric and asymmetric stenoses

Severe stenosis may lead to critical flow conditions related to artery coll apse, plaque cap rupture which lead directly to stroke and heart attack. A three-dimensional (3-D) thin-wall model with flow-structure interactions wa s introduced and solved using ADINA to investigate the wall deformation and flow properties of blood flow in carotid arteries with symmetric and asymm etric stenoses. The Navier-Stokes equations were used as the governing equa tions for the fluid. The tube wall was assumed to be hyperelastic, homogene ous, isotropic and incompressible. The nonlinear large strain Ogden materia l model was used for the wall with the elastic properties determined experi mentally for a silicone tube with a 78% stenosis by diameter. The results r evealed that the behaviors of the 3-D flow pressure, velocity and shear str ess fields are very different from those of 2-D models. Stenosis severity a nd asymmetry have considerable effects on those critical flow conditions su ch as negative pressure and high shear stress were found which may be relat ed to artery collapse and plaque rupture. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. Al l rights reserved.